Sexual Harassment Prevention Training: Ideal Time Is Now for Hotel Staff

With more people receiving COVID vaccinations, business event planning and optimism about the return of business travel has reached its highest point since the pandemic began.

Therefore, now is the perfect time for hotel staff members to participate in sexual harassment prevention training. Training can go a long way to ensure guests and employees have a safe, welcoming experience.

Why now is the right time for hotel staff training

The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lift mask and distancing requirements for vaccinated individuals has companies accelerating their business travel plans.

Many hotel operators are already experiencing stronger corporate travel bookings in markets where the pandemic situation has improved. Likewise, there is an increase in business meeting, conference, and convention planning.

GoldSpring Consulting, a business travel and meetings consulting firm, recently released the results from its Business Traveler Sentiment Survey. The survey found that 63% of business travelers want to travel by Oct. 1, putting the industry on track for 70% of travelers saying “yes” to travel by the end of 2021. It also found that 89% of business travelers preferred to stay in hotels over shared lodging, such as Airbnb.

The return of business travelers is great news for hoteliers. As business people begin traveling for meetings and events again, hotels need to ramp up their re-staffing plans. They need to move quickly to bring furloughed employees and new hires on board without skipping important steps like training.

Having spent more than a year in isolation due to the pandemic, guests and employees are likely return to the hospitality industry with pent-up energy. Therefore, it will be important to maintain a respectful hotel environment, free of discrimination and harassment.

Sexual harassment prevention training requirements and recommendations

Seven states currently require sexual harassment training for employees: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, New York, and Washington.

The following 10 states recommend voluntary training: Vermont, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Utah.

We’ve got your training needs covered

We’ve partnered with Traliant, the industry leader in compliance training, to provide you with the Hotel Edition of its award-winning training course, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment.

The course is presented in a modern and interactive format. It is designed for the way busy hotel staff learn—with bite-sized episodes, broadcast quality videos depicting real-world situations, and knowledge checks to drive retention.

The course is available in English, Spanish and other languages. You can access the mobile-optimized course 24/7 on laptops, smartphones, and tablets.

To see this and other related courses, check out our Course Marketplace.