Workplace Harassment Prevention
Build a respectful environment free of harassment for staff and volunteers.
For: Nonprofit staff and volunteers
What you’ll learn
- Recognize the behaviors and protected characteristics that make conduct unlawful harassment
- Tell the difference between a hostile work environment and quid pro quo harassment
- Understand how harassment standards reach volunteer programs, not just paid staff
- Step in safely as a bystander and report through the right channels
- Know your protection from retaliation and your organization’s duty of reasonable care
Screen your volunteers for $5
VolunteerBadge runs FCRA-compliant background checks for just $5 — with identity verification built in. No monthly fees, no contracts.
Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
What harassment actually is
6 min
- 2
Two shapes: hostile environment vs. quid pro quo
6 min
- 3
How this reaches volunteer programs
5 min
- 4
The scale of the problem
4 min
- 5
Bystander intervention: the 4 Ds
6 min
- 6
Reporting, retaliation & the org’s duty
6 min
- 7
Building a culture of respect
4 min
Sources & further reading
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace (April 29, 2024)
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — Harassment overview — federal anti-harassment laws
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — Enforcement and Litigation Statistics (FY 2024)
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — Promising Practices for Preventing Harassment
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) — How to Prevent Workplace Harassment
This course is educational and provides general information about the Fair Credit Reporting Act and volunteer-screening best practices. It is not legal advice. Laws vary by state and change over time — consult a qualified attorney about your organization’s specific obligations.