Sensitivity Training Made Simple

Sexual Harassment Training New York State“Our videos embrace collegiality. They are real life and they are enjoyable.”

For many years, clients asked me to conduct sensitivity training for them. They perceived existing training resources to be ineffective, doling out CYA advice on one hand or “teaching employees to sue them” on the other. After years of declining requests, I began to conduct my own trainings, and since then, have trained more than 10,000 employees in countless companies of all different sizes across a myriad of industries.
The live trainings kept coming, but the pursuit for video options remained unsolved.

I’ve always done my research. Back then, I found nothing even close to what I envisioned. Everything seemed low-budget and predictable, with canned scripts and stilted scenarios. Last year, when new federal guidelines were put into place that require an interactive/video component, I realized then there was a real need for on-line training videos that taught proper workplace conduct but didn’t encourage employees to sue them. I also realized that these videos should offer something different. In order to really educate employees on the importance of proper workplace behavior, the program needed to be both informative and enjoyable.

I reached out to my friend, Geoffrey Cantor, for advice. An actor, best known for his portrayal of Mitchell Ellison in Marvel’s Daredevil, I knew he also provided creative consulting services for small businesses and non-profits. I thought that he could offer some insight, and he did not disappoint. Geoffrey wrote, produced, and directed the entire series. And I couldn’t be happier with the result.

While our videos teach employees, supervisors and managers about prohibited sexual (and other forms of) harassment in compliance with various state laws, we interactively outline the difference between unlawful conduct (e.g. sexual harassment) and conduct that, although not unlawful, is against company policy (e.g. a supervisor that constantly yells at employees). We encourage employees to bring any concerns to the company’s attention while simultaneously teaching them that they cannot sue an employer because they have a challenging or complex boss (as long as that boss is not engaging in unlawful behavior).

Goodbye Harassment is a one-of-a-kind digital online workplace harassment and discrimination training program that meets the most rigorous of standards. After watching what else is out there, I believe that these videos are, if not the best, amongst the finest sensitivity training courses available online today.

Jeffrey Pollack

Jeffrey D. Pollack, a partner at Mintz and Gold, has been practicing labor and employment law for almost 30 years. During his career, Mr. Pollack has practiced as an employment practices trainer. His routine of referring clients to outside trainers changed a few years ago when one of his bigger clients asked him to conduct a personal training session for the client’s employees on workplace sensitivity, with many trainees describing Mr. Pollack’s training as the most enjoyable and informative training sessions they have experienced. Mr. Pollack speaks regularly on employment matters, and most recently, since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, he has provided live sensitivity training to more than 10,000 employees.

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