Harassment and Discrimination Prevention for Board Members

By Mary Lynn Fayoumi, CAE, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President & CEO
Published September 10, 2024

Hundreds of HR Source member organizations report to a board of directors as part of their governance structure. Board members play an important role in setting strategy, appointing leadership, providing financial oversight, and ensuring legal compliance. Members frequently reach out to the HR Source team when trying to navigate issues related to their boards. As a result, we have recently added a new online training program to our offerings.

Now, our members can offer their boards Harassment and Discrimination Awareness & Prevention in several ways. While we will continue to offer “live” group training either in-person at a location of your choosing, or virtually via Zoom, we also have a recorded option now that can be distributed to individual board members to view at their convenience. Depending on your budget, board preferences, and meeting agendas, each organization can choose an option that works best for them, or select different options each year. 

Although boards aren’t subject to any state training requirements, their actions can incur liability for your organization if they don’t respond effectively to a complaint, or if a director actively engages in harassment. Providing training to your board members is a leading practice and an additional way to minimize your organization’s legal exposure.

Our new training offering for boards features Kelly Hayden, J.D., Chief Legal Counsel, and Sonal Shah, J.D., Assistant Director, Employment Law Services. The program is a clear and concise one-hour session which reviews federal, state, and local laws while focusing on helpful examples. Current topics such as bystander intervention and microaggressions are also addressed. 

Whether your board members serve on a voluntary basis or receive compensation for their services, their contributions and impact are vital to the health and success of your organization. Training is a proven way to boost their effectiveness. To keep your board well-informed, reach out to our legal team at 800-448-4584 or info@hrsource.org, or purchase Harassment Prevention Training for Board Members in our Online Video Training Store.