Many Unclear on Sexual Harassment Policies

A new survey suggests many Southern California managers don’t see seminars and workshops on sexual harassment as particularly effective in combating this growing problem in the workplace.

Rather, the survey by Thomas Temporaries found, employers had the most success in reducing sexual harassment by formulating and communicating a firm policy on appropriate language and behavior.

But one third of the companies surveyed said they were unsure of what to do about sexual harassment. That suggests many employers haven’t developed set procedures to deal with such problems, says Gene Wilson, president of Thomas Temporaries, a temporary help firm.

And that could spell trouble: The survey said employers in Southern California have seen a 50% jump in sexual harassment complaints in the last two years.

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Don Lee covers workplace issues for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7407 and at don.lee@latimes.com.