HEARD ON THE BEAT / <i> Buzz from the Business World</i>

Sex Harassment Claims Up: Complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace are on the increase even though more companies have developed written policies, prevention training and formal investigation procedures, according to survey results released Monday by the Society for Human Resource Management.

The poll of nearly 500 human resource professionals also found that two out of three sexual harassment complaints were substantiated after investigation. Of the complaints filed between 1995 and 1998, 15% were received in 1995, 23% in 1996, 32% in 1997 and 30% in the first nine months of 1998.

“These survey results indicate that employers’ efforts to address sexual harassment must extend beyond simply placing written policies in employee manuals,” said Michael R. Losey, chief executive of the Alexandria, Va.-based trade group. “Without effective communication and enforcement of policies, they will have little impact on curbing sexual harassment in the workplace.”