How to make sure your PoSH training is effective?
Sexual harassment in some form or way has been a pervasive problem in organisations and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act (POSH) was enacted to prevent it from happening to ensure the safety of women in the workplace. The act mandates organisation to spread awareness about the policy and how to identify and prevent sexual harassment. But simply providing this training is not enough – it must be delivered effectively in order to be effective.
Sexual harassment can be a difficult issue to discuss, but it’s important that all employees are aware of what constitutes sexual harassment and how to prevent it. Awareness, education and the right training is the most effective way to eradicate the root cause of the problem.
When delivering POSH training, it’s important to keep the following in mind to make it effective:
1. POSH training should be empathetic, not transactional.
POSH training should be empathetic, not transactional. The goal of POSH training is to promote a workplace culture where sexual harassment is not tolerated. It should be conducted by someone who is knowledgeable about the topic and who can create a safe and supportive environment for employees. The trainer should be able to answer questions and provide resources for further learning. The training should also be interactive, so that employees have a chance to share their experiences and learn from each other.
POSH training should be an opportunity to build a culture of respect, not simply check a box on a compliance checklist. By taking an empathetic and interactive approach to POSH training, employers can create a workplace that is safer and more respectful for everyone.
Additionally, it should not be a one-time event but rather an ongoing journey where both the trainer and learners are continuously learning and evolving.
2. POSH training should be legally accurate.
POSH training should be legally accurate to ensure that employees are adequately prepared to address and prevent instances of sexual harassment at work. POSH training should cover the legal definition of sexual harassment, as well as the specific types of behavior that can constitute sexual harassment. Additionally, POSH training should provide employees with information about their rights and responsibilities under POSH laws and regulations. Finally, it should include practical advice on how to effectively address and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. By ensuring that POSH training is legally accurate, employers can help create a work environment that is safe and respectful for all.
3. Make sure the training is interactive.
The PoSH Act training can be very boring for employees as one has to sit through unskippable lectures about the same laws. It is important to make sure that the rest of the training is interactive so that employees are fully engaged.
There are a few ways to make PoSH training more interactive. One way is to use group exercises. This will help employees to pay attention and learn from each other. Another way to make PoSH Act training more interactive is to use role-playing. This will help employees to understand the material better and apply it to real-life situations. Finally, it is important to make sure that there is a Q&A session at the end of the training. This will help employees to ask questions and get clarification on anything they did not understand.
By making PoSH Act training more interactive, employees will be more engaged and more likely to remember the material.
4. Tailor the PoSH training to your specific workplace.
PoSH training is an important part of creating a safe and respectful workplace. However, it’s also important to tailor the training to your specific workplace. Every workplace is different, and therefore the training should be tailored to reflect that.
The training should be designed to address the specific risks and challenges that exist in your workplace. For instance, if your organisation has a hybrid or remote workplace. This will require customising your PoSH policy to consider the digital medium of communication while forming a PoSH policy.
By tailoring the training to your specific workplace, you can ensure that all employees are aware of the risks and know how to prevent and report harassment and discrimination.
5. Be clear and concise.
Sexual harassment is a serious issue in the workplace, and employees need to be clear on what constitutes it. PoSH training can help to educate employees on what sexual harassment is, and how to prevent it. The training covers a range of topics, including what constitutes unwelcome behaviour, how to report harassment, and how to support victims of harassment. This type of training is essential in helping employees to create a safe and respectful workplace. By being clear and concise about what constitutes sexual harassment, employers can help to create a work environment where everyone feels respected and valued.
6. Use real-life examples.
As part of our PoSH training, we like to use real-life examples to help employees better understand what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour. For example, if an employee is feeling harassed by a colleague, we would talk about what PoSH defines as harassment and how the employee can report it.
By using real-life examples, employees can see how POSH applies to their own lives and work situations. This helps to create a shared understanding of what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t. It also allows employees to ask questions and get clarification on anything they’re unsure about. Ultimately, this helps to create a safer and more respectful workplace for everyone.
7. Encourage open discussion.
POSH training helps to create a workplace where employees feel comfortable discussing sexual harassment and other sensitive topics. The goal of the training is to encourage open discussion and ensure that employees feel empowered to speak up if they experience or witness harassment. PoSH training can be delivered in a variety of formats, including group discussion, individual counselling, and online courses.
8. Reinforce the importance of reporting any incidents of sexual harassment.
POSH training is an important tool in preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. It empowers employees and makes them more aware of their rights and responsibilities.
All employees are required to undergo POSH training as part of their onboarding process. POSH stands for “Prevention of Sexual Harassment”, and the training covers what sexual harassment is, how to report it, and the consequences for engaging in it. The policy is clear: any incidents of sexual harassment must be reported immediately.
However, some employees may still feel uncomfortable coming forward. This is why it’s important to reinforce the importance of reporting any incidents of sexual harassment. Employees should feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns they may have, and they should know that their reports will be taken seriously and investigated promptly. In addition, they should know that there will be no retaliation for making a report. By creating a safe and supportive environment, we can ensure that all employees feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns they may have.
9. Make your PoSH training mobile-friendly
Mobile-friendly training gives employees the liberty to learn on their own time from anywhere they want. For mobile training, the content is divided into bit-size so that employees can go through the topics quickly and retain them better.
Another benefit of mobile-friendly training content is that it provides privacy to the employees. Since sexual harassment is a sensitive topic, many employees prefer to learn more about it privately.
Conclusion
Keep these points in check to create effective PoSH training for your organisation. For delivering it effectively, contact us, we create 100% online PoSH training courses which are engaging, interactive and mobile-friendly.
