THE HUMAN TOUCH
(cONTINUED FrOm PaGE 42)
policies and training do not and
cannot prevent all concerns.
Employees and customers often
complain of having experienced
harassment. Whether it’s a reception
member not making expected eye
contact with a guest (either too much
or too little), guests feeling uncom-
fortable with a draping technique, or
an employee claiming “hostile work
environment,” each of these
complaints should be taken seriously.
Presenting the information in
different formats also can have a more
lasting effect. as humans, we interpret
behaviors and actions differently; what
seems like completely appropriate
interactions to one person may be
offensive and harassing to another.
These unique attributes have many
benefits and your staff needs to know
how to handle them, particularly when
they result in a complaint of
harassment or otherwise. This isn’t
just a question of the law, which sets
certain standards—your expectations
may exceed what you are legally
obligated to prevent.
Document, Document,
Document
if you have a beautiful, comprehensive
policy that states your commitment to
investigate concerns, then make sure
that you not only investigate the
concerns, but also that you document
that you received the concern, what
the concern was, who was involved
and how it was investigated. as you
take efforts to ensure that you’re
encouraging those who are reluctant to
report to do so, document those efforts.
Keep your documentation
organized and accessible to those who
have a need to know, but out of the
general access. if you store your
documentation electronically, make
sure to perform regular backups (and
that your backed-up information will
be able to be retrieved as you continue
to upgrade your computers and
software).
all in all, concerns of discrimi-
nation, harassment and retaliation
can be stressful for a spa owner, but
they are one of the many business
risks that can be minimized with
proper attention and consideration.
anticipating potential concerns and
taking steps to prevent them will help
you to provide a better spa
experience for your guests and
employees. n
THE
ISPA ACADEMY
For more information, review ISPa’s
recommendations for best practices in
regards to preventing harassment in
spa online at the ISPa academy.
To access the academy, simply go to
experienceispa.com/ispa-academy
and login to your member account.
ABBE M. GONCHARSKY is licensed to practice law in arizona and california. This article is provided for
informational purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship or constitute legal advice.
abbe encourages you to consult with experienced employment counsel regarding your policies and
processes and to evaluate your spa’s compliance with all applicable laws.
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march 2019