Answer:

As human resources professionals and other decision-makers see the headlines about the downfall of giants due to sexual harassment allegations, they have been forced ask the question – could this happen to us? And while the specific effects of #MeToo will differ, it has most commonly caused businesses to re-examine how they conduct themselves with:

1. A renewed focus on sexual harassment policies

While many businesses have always had sexual harassment policies, those policies may have been buried in an employee manual and were largely ignored. The #MeToo movement has brought to light the importance of not only having a policy, but also the importance of applying it.

2. Sexual harassment training

Many businesses recognize that the issue of sexual harassment is so important that they are bringing in third-party experts to deliver training to employees. Those third-parties can be lawyers, human resources experts, or other professionals. Good training includes detailed examples of how issues of harassment may occur in each unique workplace.

3. Inspections of social media

The #MeToo movement was born out of social media. It opened a door for employees who may have been uncomfortable reporting incidents of sexual harassment to HR, and encouraged them to share the experience with the world on social media. Because of this, employers are working to encourage their employees to run their reports through the HR channels, rather than posting online.