Preventing and Addressing Harassment and Discrimination in the Workplace (Supervisory-version)

Authors: Jennifer Balliet, MS and Timothy Westover, M(IT)
Reviewer: Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM
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Continuing Education Credits

P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours: 1.5 hour(s)

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE Credit Hours

Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE - Supervision/Administration, Quality Control/Quality Assurance, and Safety: 1.5 hour(s)

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Objectives

  • Differentiate between harassment and discrimination.
  • Identify the types of sexual harassment and discrimination.
  • List the protected criteria.
  • List physical and mental conditions that are considered disabilities and can receive accommodations.
  • State the steps involved in reporting and investigating a harassment/discrimination case.
  • Discuss the supervisor's role in provided scenarios of harassment/discrimination.

Course Outline

  • Introduction
    • Introduction
    • Key Legislation
    • What’s the Difference between Harassment and Discrimination?
    • Harassment and Discrimination – More Than You Think
    • Protected Criteria
    • When Are Your Employees Protected?
    • Establishing an Anti-Harassment Policy
    • Why Do Harassers Harass?
    • Who’s Most Likely to Be the Perpetrator of Harassment or Discrimination?
    • Is One Mistake Enough?
    • Special Considerations for Supervisors
    • Discrimination and Harassment Do Not Start With the Complaint
    • Not the Intention, but the Impact
    • Excuses
    • What is the Cost of Harassment and Discrimination?
    • Scenarios in this Course
    • Discrimination occurs when an employer treats someone unfavorably because of a personal characteristic protected by law. Which of the following characteristics are protected by law to prevent employer discrimination?
    • True or False: An individual feels that the screening process for a job they are interested in does not qualify them to succeed due to their medical condition. Since this candidate is not yet employed by the company, they are not protected by discrimination laws.
  • Sexual Harassment
    • What is Sexual Harassment?
    • Examples of Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
    • Hostile Workplace Sexual Harassment
    • Scenario: Lunch-Time Reading Material
    • What About Dating in the Workplace?
    • Sexual Harassment and Travel
    • Friendly Behavior: Where’s the Line?
    • Why is it Important to Prevent Sexual Harassment in the Workplace?
    • How Can You Prevent Sexual Harassment?
    • Important Sexual Harassment Supreme Court Cases
    • Dealing with Sexual Harassment
    • What Do I Do when Someone Complains?
    • Scenario: A New Friend, Just Like the Old Friend?
    • Which of the following scenarios could constitute sexual harassment?
    • True or False: If an employee observes sexual harassment taking place in the workplace, it is best to let the employees involved deal with it between themselves. After all, it is none of their business.
  • Other Kinds of Discrimination
    • Racial Discrimination
    • Scenario: Do They "Sound Right"?
    • Scenario: Do They "Sound Right"? - Discussion
    • Scenario: The Underperforming Employee
    • Scenario: The Underperforming Employee - Discussion
    • Religious Discrimination
    • Scenario: Religious Attire
    • Scenario: Religious Attire – Discussion
    • Age-Based Discrimination
    • Scenario: She’s Not Good with Computers
    • Scenario: She’s Not Good with Computers – Discussion
    • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity / Expression
    • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity / Expression, continued
    • Blake is a transgender individual who is assigned male at birth. She is a certified phlebotomist who has applied for an open phlebotomy position in your laboratory. During her interview, you (the hiring manager) give Blake a tour and introduction to several of your employees. During her tour of your laboratory, she overheard a male employee say, “I hope she doesn’t use the men’s
    • Family Status / Marital Status
  • Discrimination Based on Physical or Mental Disability
    • What Counts as a Physical or Mental Disability?
    • Reasonable Accommodations for Disability
    • What If There Is No Accommodation Possible?
    • Scenario: The Company Cat
    • Scenario: The Company Cat - Discussion
    • HIV-Positive Employees in Healthcare Settings
    • Which physical or mental conditions are not protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
  • Abusive Conduct
    • Abusive Conduct and Bullying
    • Not Tied to a Protected Category
    • Scenario: The Football Rivalry
    • Scenario: The Football Rivalry – Discussion
  • Hiring Process
    • Hiring Process
    • What Are You Allowed and Not Allowed to Ask?
  • Reporting and Investigating Harassment and Discrimination
    • Clear Open Way to Report
    • Reports Should Trigger an Investigation
    • Conducting an Investigation
    • What Constitutes an Effective Investigation?
    • Considerations Before Conducting an Investigation
    • Interviewing the Complainant
    • Interviewing the Accused
    • Interviewing the Witnesses
    • An Investigation Does Not Always Mean “Guilty”
    • Results of an Investigation
    • Follow-Up After the Conclusion of the Investigation
    • Retaliation
    • If You See Retaliation
    • You Are Not the Thought Police, But You Do Have a Duty
    • True or False: In any company, an employee should only report harassment events to their direct supervisor or manager.
    • An employee, Wesley, accused the supervisor of discrimination after two female coworkers were promoted before him. Wesley did not realize these two female coworkers had asked for and taken on additional tasks that allowed their advancement. The supervisor was found not guilty of the discrimination charges after a thorough investigation by the employer. The supervisor terminated Wesley within a few
  • Conclusion
    • Is There Always a Good Answer?
  • References
    • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Basic
Intended Audience: All healthcare personnel
Author Information: 
Jennifer Balliet has served as Vice President of Human Resources since 2015. She joined NeoGenomics in 2008 and has steadily increased her responsibilities and was previously serving as Director of Human Resources. During her time at NeoGenomics, she has managed Human Resources as the Company grew from 100 employees to more than 800 employees in multi-site and multi-state locations, including Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and California. Jennifer is responsible for all areas of Human Resources, including recruiting, training, compliance, compensation, incentive plans, and organizational development. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and her Master of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Florida.
Timothy Westover is the senior web architect for MediaLab. He received his Bachelor's degree in English from Davidson College and his Master's in Internet Technology from the University of Georgia. He has worked with MediaLab since 1997, developing the software platform on which MediaLab courses are created and delivered. Tim has current experience in employee management, including administering employee education and orientation programs.
The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information: Laurie Bjerklie, MA, MLS(ASCP)CM, is a Lead Education Developer. She earned a B.S. in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Xavier University. She has over 15 years of experience in higher education and has held program director and faculty positions in both MLT and MLS programs.