Train, train, train

It amazes how companies can spend thousands of dollars are marketing, branding and the like, but zero time and expense on training. As many of you know, a "best practices" as an employer includes regular training for management and staff on complying with the company's policies and procedures. It is a good idea to periodically confer with counsel on whether your training presentations, employee handbook or other policies are in need of updating. One area that a company should regularly focus on is harassment prevention. When most people think of harassment, they think of sexual harassment only. However, the law covers all kinds of harassmsent, including on the basis of religion, race and even sexual orientation. In some states, such as California, companies are required to conduct mandatory annual sexual harassment training. I advise my clients to conduct at least two training sessions a year that all employees have attend. Aside from harassment, your company should choose a topic that is of concern and that is a potential issue, but you should never single out an employee or a specific situation when training. Keep it generic. When I am asked by a client to conduct training, I also use visual and written materials. While I give specific examples of violations, or inappropriate behavior, the examples are never "personal"; they remain generic.