Anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, as well as diversity and inclusion programs, have become common in many modern workplaces. Employers generally turn to these training programs as a means of limiting organizational liability for the potential misconduct of employees.
By implementing zero-tolerance policies and ensuring that workers know what constitutes harassment and discrimination, organizations can provide themselves with a bit of a legal buffer between the company and accusations of permitting a hostile work environment or quid pro quo harassment. Unfortunately, organizations will need to be quite careful about offering diversity and discrimination training, as they have started to generate pushback in some cases.
Some programs can make workers feel bad
Acknowledging the historical inequities between the races or sexes can help give people context for why others may be more sensitive to certain matters than they are. It can help them understand when the things that they might say or do could potentially upset someone else.
Unfortunately, some programs intending to promote sensitivity and decreased discrimination make certain groups of people feel attacked or maligned. It’s crucial to offer balanced training that highlights fair treatment for everyone rather than focusing on specific groups.
Some programs can damage company culture
Especially when training sessions or diversity programs involved entire teams or the full staff roster at a company, the possibility exists for the situation to lead to Major conflict. For example, training that talks about pronouns and sexuality might make people feel like they have to out themselves to their co-workers, which could lead to anxiety in specific individuals or tension between teammates when personal beliefs clash with religious beliefs.
Training can lead to complacency
Those in management and human resources may take for granted that there won’t be issues with harassment or discrimination if there are robust training requirements at a company. They may overlook issues in different departments or fail to properly respond when someone does bring up a complaint.
While training can be a valuable way to limit worker misconduct, can also potentially lead to unhappiness and stress for certain employees or entire teams. Being cautious about how an organization adheres to employment laws and mitigates liability can help to create, facilitate or preserve a positive culture.