Anti-Harassment & Workplace Ethics Training Service | in Dammam - Riyadh - Jeddah - Makkah

1. Introduction to Workplace Ethics and Anti-Harassment

• Workplace ethics importance including (organizational reputation, employee wellbeing, legal compliance, productivity, talent retention)

• Legal framework including (Title VII Civil Rights Act, EEOC guidelines, state/local laws, international standards ILO Convention 190)

• Protected characteristics per Title VII including (race, color, religion, sex including pregnancy, national origin, plus age, disability, genetic information)

• Employer liability including (vicarious liability, negligence, hostile environment, constructive discharge, damages)

• Business case for ethical workplaces including (engagement, innovation, reputation, reduced turnover, legal risk mitigation)

• Personal responsibility including (individual accountability, professional conduct, reporting obligations, active participation)

• Course objectives including (awareness, prevention, response, culture building, policy understanding, legal compliance)

2. Understanding Workplace Harassment

2.1 Legal Definitions and Types of Harassment

• Harassment legal definition per EEOC including (unwelcome conduct, based on protected characteristic, condition of employment or hostile environment)

• Quid pro quo harassment including (exchange proposition, power differential, employment decisions, tangible action, supervisor conduct)

• Hostile work environment including (severe or pervasive, reasonable person standard, interferes with work, intimidating/hostile/offensive)

• Sexual harassment including (unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, verbal/physical conduct of sexual nature)

• Non-sexual harassment including (race, religion, national origin, age, disability, any protected characteristic, same standards apply)

2.2 Forms and Examples of Harassment

• Verbal harassment including (inappropriate jokes, slurs, epithets, name-calling, sexual comments, innuendos, offensive language)

• Physical harassment including (unwanted touching, assault, blocking movement, invasion of personal space, inappropriate gestures)

• Visual harassment including (displaying offensive images, sexually suggestive materials, derogatory cartoons, inappropriate emails/texts)

• Non-verbal harassment including (staring, leering, sexually suggestive gestures, facial expressions, body language)

• Cyber harassment including (offensive emails, social media posts, text messages, online bullying, virtual meeting conduct)

• Third-party harassment including (customers, vendors, contractors, visitors, employer responsibility, protective measures)

2.3 What is NOT Harassment

• Legitimate management actions including (performance feedback, discipline, work assignments, policy enforcement, professional criticism)

• Personality conflicts including (disagreements, different work styles, tension, versus targeted mistreatment)

• Single incidents including (severe versus pervasive standard, one-time serious conduct may qualify, pattern typically required)

• Consensual relationships including (mutual attraction, office romance policies, power dynamics, professionalism requirements)

3. Discrimination and Equal Opportunity

3.1 Forms of Workplace Discrimination

• Disparate treatment including (intentional discrimination, different treatment, direct evidence, comparative evidence, pretextual reasons)

• Disparate impact including (neutral policy, disproportionate effect, statistical evidence, business necessity defense, less discriminatory alternative)

• Hiring discrimination including (screening, interviewing, selection, job requirements, background checks, testing)

• Promotion and advancement including (glass ceiling, biased criteria, unequal opportunities, mentoring access, succession planning)

• Compensation discrimination including (equal pay for equal work, Equal Pay Act, gender pay gap, transparency)

3.2 Protected Characteristics and Intersectionality

• Race and color discrimination including (stereotypes, racial slurs, segregation, differential treatment, implicit bias)

• National origin discrimination including (accent discrimination, English-only rules, immigration status, citizenship requirements)

• Religious discrimination including (beliefs and practices, accommodation duty, scheduling, dress and grooming, proselytizing limits)

• Sex and gender discrimination including (pregnancy, parental status, gender identity per Bostock v. Clayton County, stereotyping)

• Age discrimination per ADEA including (40 and older, stereotypes, forced retirement, benefits, reduction in force)

• Disability discrimination per ADA including (qualified individual, reasonable accommodation, interactive process, undue hardship)

3.3 Reasonable Accommodation

• Accommodation definition including (modification or adjustment, enables performance, religious beliefs, disabilities)

• Interactive process including (discussion with employee, identifying limitations, exploring options, implementing accommodation)

• Accommodation examples including (schedule modifications, assistive technology, job restructuring, leave, religious observance)

• Undue hardship including (significant difficulty or expense, financial resources, operation nature, safety considerations)

4. Sexual Harassment Prevention

4.1 Sexual Harassment Behaviors and Scenarios

• Unwelcome sexual advances including (requests for dates, persistent despite rejection, romantic/sexual propositions, physical advances)

• Sexually oriented comments including (appearance remarks, body comments, sexual jokes, gender-based insults, innuendos)

• Sexual favoritism including (relationship-based preferences, perceived affairs, morale impact, hostile environment creation)

• Gender-based harassment including (not sexual but based on sex, motherhood penalty, pregnant worker mistreatment, gender stereotypes)

4.2 Consent and Welcomeness

• "Unwelcome" standard including (victim did not solicit or incite, found offensive, not whether voluntary, victim perspective)

• Consent complexities including (power dynamics, fear of retaliation, acquiescence versus consent, changing mind)

• Professional boundaries including (workplace versus personal, manager-subordinate, clear communication, respect)

• Workplace romance policies including (disclosure requirements, no retaliation clauses, relationship agreements, conflicts of interest)

4.3 Special Considerations and Contexts

• Remote and hybrid work including (virtual meeting conduct, camera expectations, chat professionalism, digital boundaries)

• After-hours and social events including (company parties, client dinners, team outings, alcohol consumption, professional conduct)

• Business travel including (shared transportation, accommodations, meals, maintaining professionalism, safety)

• Supervisor responsibilities including (heightened accountability, power dynamics awareness, relationship prohibitions, role modeling)

5. Creating Inclusive and Respectful Workplaces

5.1 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Principles

• Diversity dimensions including (demographic, experiential, cognitive, visible and invisible, intersectionality)

• Equity versus equality including (fair treatment, barrier removal, opportunity access, outcome focus, systemic change)

• Inclusion definition including (belonging, valued contributions, psychological safety, diverse perspectives, authentic selves)

• Microaggressions including (subtle slights, unintentional discrimination, cumulative harm, examples, impact versus intent)

5.2 Unconscious Bias Awareness

• Implicit bias definition including (unconscious attitudes, automatic associations, mental shortcuts, conflict with conscious values)

• Common biases including (affinity bias, confirmation bias, halo/horns effect, attribution bias, in-group favoritism)

• Bias impact including (hiring, promotions, assignments, performance evaluation, mentoring, daily interactions)

• Bias mitigation strategies including (awareness, structured processes, diverse panels, objective criteria, accountability)

5.3 Respectful Communication and Behavior

• Professional communication including (respectful language, active listening, inclusive terminology, avoiding assumptions)

• Pronouns and names including (respecting preferences, asking when unsure, updating systems, avoiding deadnaming)

• Cultural competence including (awareness, curiosity, avoiding stereotypes, adapting communication, learning from mistakes)

• Team dynamics including (equitable participation, credit attribution, interruptions, amplification, ally behavior)

6. Ethical Conduct and Professional Standards

6.1 Workplace Ethics Fundamentals

• Ethical behavior definition including (right versus wrong, organizational values, legal compliance, moral principles, integrity)

• Ethical frameworks including (utilitarian greatest good, rights-based, fairness/justice, virtue ethics, stakeholder approach)

• Core ethical values including (honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, responsibility, transparency, accountability)

• Ethics versus compliance including (minimum legal standards versus aspirational values, culture of ethics, beyond rules)

6.2 Common Ethical Violations

• Conflicts of interest including (personal gain, dual loyalties, disclosure requirements, recusal, appearance of impropriety)

• Misuse of company resources including (time theft, equipment, expenses, confidential information, intellectual property)

• Financial misconduct per SOX including (fraud, misrepresentation, cooking books, whistleblower protections Section 806)

• Bribery and corruption per FCPA including (improper payments, gifts and entertainment limits, facilitation payments, third parties)

• Insider trading including (material non-public information, tipping, trading restrictions, blackout periods)

6.3 Ethical Decision-Making Framework

• Recognize ethical dilemma including (competing values, legal uncertainty, stakeholder conflicts, gut feeling discomfort)

• Gather information including (facts, stakeholders, applicable rules, precedents, consultation)

• Evaluate options including (consequences, rights, fairness, organizational values, public disclosure test)

• Make and implement decision including (choose ethical path, document rationale, communicate, execute)

• Reflect and learn including (outcome assessment, lessons learned, continuous improvement, culture building)

7. Bystander Intervention and Reporting

7.1 Bystander Responsibilities

• Bystander effect including (diffusion of responsibility, pluralistic ignorance, overcoming inaction, social influence)

• Duty to intervene including (moral obligation, organizational expectation, prevention, supporting victims, culture building)

• When to intervene including (witnessing harassment, ethical violations, safety concerns, discrimination, immediate versus later)

• Barriers to intervention including (fear, uncertainty, social costs, power dynamics, rationalizations, overcoming barriers)

7.2 Intervention Strategies (5 D's)

• Direct intervention including (addressing behavior immediately, "That's not appropriate", clear statement, when safe and comfortable)

• Distract including (interrupting situation, creating distraction, defusing tension, subject change, removing opportunity)

• Delegate including (seeking help, involving authority, calling security, emergency services, manager/HR involvement)

• Delay including (checking on target after incident, support offering, documentation, reporting later, not condoning by silence)

• Document including (recording facts, witness identification, preserving evidence, supporting formal complaint)

7.3 Reporting Procedures and Protections

• Reporting channels including (supervisor, HR, compliance hotline, online portal, management chain, external agencies EEOC)

• What to report including (harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ethics violations, safety concerns, any policy violations)

• How to report including (written preferred, specific details, dates/times/witnesses, impact description, documentation attachment)

• Confidentiality including (need-to-know basis, investigation requirements, privacy protection, complete confidentiality not guaranteed)

• Anti-retaliation protections per Title VII Section 704 including (protected activity, adverse action, causal connection, damages, reporting safety)

8. Manager and Supervisor Responsibilities

8.1 Heightened Duties and Accountability

• Manager as employer agent including (vicarious liability, strict liability for quid pro quo, negligence for hostile environment)

• Duty to prevent including (setting tone, role modeling, policy communication, training, monitoring climate)

• Duty to report including (mandatory reporting, actual or constructive knowledge, immediate escalation, no independent investigation)

• Credibility and influence including (power dynamics awareness, perception management, exemplary conduct, cultural leadership)

8.2 Responding to Complaints and Disclosures

• Initial response including (take seriously, listen without judgment, thank for coming forward, confidentiality limits, no promises)

• Do's including (document conversation, immediate HR notification, separate parties if needed, interim measures, support victim)

• Don'ts including (no independent investigation, no confronting accused, no dismissing, no victim-blaming, no gossip)

• Interim protective measures including (schedule changes, reporting line changes, no-contact directives, leave options, safety planning)

8.3 Investigation Cooperation and Follow-Up

• Investigation participation including (interview cooperation, document provision, witness identification, honesty, confidentiality)

• During investigation including (maintain professionalism, no retaliation, business as usual, confidentiality, patience)

• Post-investigation including (communicating outcomes within legal limits, corrective action if substantiated, monitoring, closure)

• Ongoing prevention including (lessons learned, policy updates, training needs, culture assessment, continuous improvement)

9. Investigation Process and Discipline

9.1 Complaint Investigation Process

• Investigation trigger including (formal complaint, informal report, observation, pattern recognition, third-party report)

• Investigator selection including (impartial, trained, appropriate authority, internal or external, no conflicts of interest)

• Investigation steps including (planning, complainant interview, accused interview, witness interviews, document review, findings)

• Evidence standards including (preponderance of evidence, credibility assessment, corroboration, pattern evidence, documentation)

9.2 Rights of Accused and Complainant

• Accused rights including (notice of allegations, opportunity to respond, representation, fair process, presumption of innocence until proven)

• Complainant rights including (safe reporting, protection from retaliation, updates, support, fair investigation, closure)

• Due process including (fair and impartial, reasonable timeline, evidence consideration, findings communication, appeal opportunity)

• Confidentiality balance including (need-to-know, investigation requirements, legal obligations, privacy respect, rumor control)

9.3 Disciplinary Actions and Remedies

• Corrective action range including (counseling, training, written warning, suspension, demotion, termination, progressive discipline)

• Factors considered including (severity, pattern, position, impact, remorse, cooperation, proportionality)

• Remedies for victim including (make-whole relief, compensation, policy changes, training, monitoring, reassignment options)

• Documentation including (investigation report, disciplinary action, personnel file, legal compliance, consistency)

10. Organizational Culture and Prevention

10.1 Policy Development and Communication

• Written policies including (EEOC recommended elements, definitions, examples, reporting, investigation, discipline, anti-retaliation)

• Policy accessibility including (employee handbook, intranet, onboarding, multiple languages, plain language, regular updates)

• Policy acknowledgment including (signed receipt, training completion, periodic recertification, understanding verification)

• Policy enforcement including (consistent application, swift action, accountability at all levels, no exceptions, credibility)

10.2 Training and Education

• Mandatory training per state laws including (California SB 1343, New York Section 201-g, Connecticut, Delaware, others)

• Training content including (legal definitions, examples, reporting, prevention, responsibilities, interactive scenarios)

• Training methods including (in-person preferred, online acceptable, discussion, case studies, role-play, supervisor-specific)

• Training frequency including (onboarding, annual refresher, new supervisor, policy updates, incident-driven, continuous learning)

10.3 Culture of Respect and Accountability

• Leadership commitment including (tone from top, visible support, resource allocation, accountability, walking the talk)

• Speak-up culture including (psychological safety, non-retaliation, listening, responsiveness, appreciation, closure)

• Accountability systems including (performance expectations, evaluation criteria, consequences for violations, rewards for exemplary conduct)

• Continuous improvement including (climate surveys, exit interviews, trend analysis, benchmarking, adaptation, transparency)