in today’s day and age, and with the
significant number of allegations of
harassment across the country and
potential for reputational and other
harm, spas are well-advised to
employ different strategies to ensure
that all employees and visitors
experience a harassment-free
experience anD know what to do to
express any concerns.
Have a Formal Policy
have a formal, written policy
available to employees—and possibly
the public. Whether a member of the
public or an employee on the spa’s
staff, you want people to know what
is expected. a written policy will also
help to convey to your employees and
the public that you are taking a stand
to prevent harassment, discrimi-
nation and retaliation.
Some items to include in a policy are:
l a description of the conduct (both
sexual and non-sexual
harassment) that your spa
prohibits, including examples.
a person should understand what
is allowed and what is prohibited.
l a description of the complaint
procedures, including multiple
avenues of reporting. if the
concern involves a high-level
member of the leadership team,
you don’t want to discourage the
report simply because the policy
says that the complaint should be
made to that person (or that
person’s direct report).
l a commitment to conduct a
prompt, thorough and impartial
investigation.
l Protection against retaliation for
employees who make complaints
or who participate in good-faith in
an investigation of a complaint.
l a commitment to respond appro-
priately based on the results of the
investigation, including by using
prompt and proportionate
corrective action.
l Disseminate the policy as widely
and thoroughly as you can, both in
writing and by discussing the policy
(and its practical impact) at team
meetings. in other words,
remember: a policy is only worth
the paper that it’s written on if you
don’t use it, teach from it and
follow it.
Zero Tolerance
make it clear to your employees and
the public that your spa does not
tolerate any form of discrimination,
including harassment or relatiation.
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