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Kathryn Murphy, a Partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP presented a training session last month titled “Discriminatory Harassment Prevention Training for Managers”. Ms. Murphy began the training session with an introduction to legal basics where she emphasizes that discrimination is prohibited in any aspect of employment, and that the law prohibits discrimination against an individual based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, etc. The second section of the training outlined specific policies against discriminatory harassment, such as a statement of commitment to prohibiting discriminatory harassment, zero-tolerance, and reporting to HR requirements. Ms. Murphy then discussed manager responsibilities and the importance of knowing the company’s policies and procedures and immediately reporting any complaints from employees to HR. Finally, before taking the time to answer some questions from participants, Ms. Murphy provided examples of how managers can prevent discriminatory harassment in the workplace. Some examples include monitoring the workplace, providing training and/or counseling if needed, and what to do if a complaint is filed that you feel is wrong. The key takeaways that Ms. Murphy outlines for managers in her training are: don’t wait for a complaint, don’t look around for someone who looks offended, treat the workplace as your responsibility, and remember that you are responsible for both preventing and reporting policy violations.

 

Ms. Murphy is a Partner at the firm and practices in the employment and labor law areas.  She has many years of experience representing employers in matters involving employment discrimination, wage and hour, contracts, whistleblowing, and other employment-related concerns.  Ms. Murphy’s practice also focuses upon working proactively with employers to address matters before legal disputes arise.  She conducts internal investigations on behalf of employers, provides training, day-to-day counseling in employment areas, development of policies and procedures, and other advisory services. Ms. Murphy obtained a Senior Professional Human Resource (SPHR) certification in 2011, and prior to practicing law, she practiced as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Ms. Murphy graduated cum laude from Suffolk University Law School.