Training isn’t just about creating valuable legal defenses – it’s about preventing misconduct. Stopping harassment and discrimination before it occurs offers a much better ROI than a great defense once the fires are already burning.
The EEOC released stats today indicating discrimination charges declined slightly in 2005, falling 5% from the 79,432 complaints filed in 2004.
Cari Dominguez, the commission's chairwoman, attributed the recent three-year drop, in part, to training efforts and compliance. "It is clear that the commission can no longer serve solely as the 'job police,'" said Dominguez. "We are striving to build partnerships to prevent discrimination, while taking on more high-impact cases that can lead to positive workplace changes for a broad swath of the workforce."
Employers are training more than ever – largely due to the ripple effect of California’s AB 1825. While their prime motivation may be baseline compliance, effective training actually works to prevent claims.
The numbers tell it all.