Putting an End to Sexism at the Workplace

The company should have a clear, written policy that is provided to each individual upon hiring. During the orientation process, individuals should be asked whether they've read and understand the policy. The policy should include the manner in which any allegations of sexism (and other forms of discrimination) should be reported, to whom, what process will be used to determine whether the allegation is true, and what action the company will take in response.

Companies should regularly discuss discrimination issues with employees, either via emails or scheduled mandatory "in-services". It's likely there are people who don't realize their actions may be sexist so it's important to educate them. Everyone deserves a level playing field.

STEPS TAKEN BY EMPLOYERS TO END GENDER DISCRIMINATION

To prevent gender discrimination or sexual harassment from occurring in the workplace, more and more employers are adopting a zero tolerance policy towards all acts of discrimination. This usually includes the creation of an official written policy against discrimination that is circulated to all employees, as well as education and training courses for all managers (and often for all employees). In addition, the companies have to show that they are serious about implementing and enforcing the new policy by creating disciplinary standards for violations of the policy.

Another step employers can take is to conduct a thorough investigation every time a claim of discrimination or harassment is lodged. If a company identifies a situation where it believes discrimination has occurred and the company is going to be held liable, it can ease the amount of punishment handed down if it conducts a thorough in-house investigation that culminates in appropriate action taken against the person who committed the discrimination, up to and including dismissal of that employee.

When managers are trained to recognize instances of sexual discrimination or harassment, they should be told one thing above all others—not to try to handle the complaint by themselves. Instead, they should always immediately notify the human resources department that an incidence of discrimination or harassment has been reported and needs to be investigated. If the training is also provided to all employees, primary efforts should be spent on teaching employees what is and is not considered to be appropriate behavior and on helping employees understand each other better so that they can work together more effectively.

Source: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/