For decades, harassment has been the single most used component of corporate ethics training. In the business sector, harassment is defined as offensive behavior in the workplace that makes one feel threatened, insulted or uncomfortable. This broad topic constitutes topics ranging from verbal harassment, to physical abuse and sexual harassment. It is the most obvious form of discrepancy in the workplace, since it involves direct contact between two or more co-workers. Due to the confined nature of an office, it is an ethical issue that can be noticeable by co-workers.
Harassment situations pose to create a threatening workplace environment for the victim, as well as significant legal ramifications for those involved in the harassment case. Lawsuits in harassment cases may or may not also include the company itself. Therefore, a vital part of a business’ ethics training program is to include a comprehensive harassment training seminar, covering all kinds of situations. Ethics training programs introduce harassment by defining threatening and offensive behavior, while providing multiple scenarios of typical office harassment situations. By giving examples, employees will be able to define and notice situations as they arise.