CIS Offers Training to Prevent Workplace Discrimination and Harassment
By Katie Kammer, Pre-Loss Attorney
For several years, CIS members have been training their staffs on how to prevent discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace by participating in CIS’ foundational course, Harassment, Equal Employment and Other Laws That Matter to You.
The CIS course, which has been presented over 60 times in the last few years, both in in-person and online formats, covers federal and Oregon employment laws that prohibit differential treatment based on protected status and activity, explores problem behaviors in the workplace such as bullying, and delves into a member-specific discussion of important personnel policies. Employees leave the session understanding not only what conduct is prohibited, but also how to report conduct that crosses the line.
Although Harassment, Equal Employment and Other Laws That Matter to You remains a crucial tool for helping CIS members foster healthy workplaces and avoid costly employment claims, CIS determined that the times call for a new training. The events of the last few months have reignited the discussion of race relations across the state and the nation, prompting CIS to consider developing a new training that supports public employees in a way that moves beyond simply explaining what the law and policies require and gets down to a more humanistic focus — treating others with respect.
This fall, CIS is rolling out its new training entitled Walk A Mile in Their Shoes: Steps for Understanding and Respecting Diversity in Our Workplaces and Communities.
This two and a half hour interactive workshop style training is based on the premise that every individual, whether employee, elected official, or citizen, has a unique personal background and individualized life experiences that greatly impact the way they interact with others.
Attendees of the training will not only explore the fundamental concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but will experience opportunities for self-reflection to discover how these ideas apply to them as individuals, and in their workgroups and communities. The training is interspersed with practical exercises where, in small breakout groups, attendees will identify their own blind spots, learn from their peers, and challenge themselves by addressing these topics in a new way.
The goal of the training is to increase awareness about the importance of our differences, build a vocabulary for discussing those differences when they impact our workplaces and communities, and empower CIS members to engage in respectful discourse and conduct when they encounter someone from a different walk of life.
This training can be beneficial for employees and elected officials and due to COVID-19 restrictions, will be offered virtually until in person trainings are feasible.
Walk a Mile is just the first step in the training efforts that CIS will be rolling out over the next couple of years. CIS will also offer in-depth training for local government leaders and supervisors who play a crucial role in embracing organizational diversity and reducing discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
The supervisory course will train leaders on how to ensure that their entity’s systems, policies, and practices are designed and enforced equitably and provide practical skills for modeling good behavior and fostering organizational values.
CIS will also have a catalogue of other resources that will help members continue these important conversations within their organizations and engage with community partners.
CIS member organizations who are interested in learning more about Walk A Mile or any of CIS’s new training offerings should contact our Hire to Retire team at h2r@cisoregon.org.