Keeping up with training regulations in your dental office may seem daunting, and you probably feel pretty great about your workplace when you know that everyone is following HIPAA requirements. Nevertheless, it is important that you don't neglect sexual harassment training for your dental office staff.
Certain states require sexual harassment training. It is important to know if your dental office is located in a state that requires this training. If you are out of compliance, it makes your dental practice vulnerable to lawsuits if any of your employees are accused of sexually harassing a patient or another employee.
Here are the states that have specific legal requirements for sexual harassment training:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
Even if your state isn't listed as having specific state wide legal requirements, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a sexual harassment prevention program that strongly encourages all employers to give sexual harassment prevention training to all of their employees. Often times, employees don't realize that their behaviors and statements are making other people uncomfortable. After training they realize that some of their jokes or actions are not appropriate for a work setting.
When you offer sexual harassment training every year, you are reminding your employees what your company’s standards are. You are also investing in the comfort and safety of your patients and employees.
Many dental patients are already a little uneasy when they come into a dental office. The best thing you can do for them is to make sure your office is a place where they will always be treated with respect.
