Sexual Harassment Training for the Workplace

With the recent passage of the Sexual Harassment Act and its amendments, the Jamaican workplace now has to begin implementation and training. We discuss what training will look like and what if any effect it will have ion the culture of the Jamaican workplace.

John Bassie, Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Foundation, joined the CVM Live Panel Discussion to explore the topic.

In a response to what a sexual harassment training in the workplace would look like, Mr. Bassie said bill hopes to put a stop to any unwelcome advances or making anyone feel uncomfortable. He notes that the Sexual Harassment Act is timely and leads to a different path which helps to define what sexual harassment is, how it can be dealt with and how it can be prevented. He also notes that the law states that the workplace has to create a policy to tell persons what is not tolerated and adds that Section 6 of the Act refers to this. Mr. Bassie adds that workplaces should be speaking to an attorney and the Bureau of Standards as it relates to disseminating the information to workers in the work space.

Bassie notes that the Act is not out to stop the persons from our culture of discussing and being playful, however unwelcome advances such as touching, pornography, etc may it be done by a male or female. He notes that some jurisdiction gives way for mediation in sexual harassment instances if both parties are willing to use this method before the issues goes before a tribunal.