Human Relations - Soft Skills on Video and DVD
Eight Reasons to Use Multimedia in Your Classroom
Dealing with Stress in the Workplace
Educational Media
This three-times a year newsletter is published by the Renton Technical
College Library. If you have any suggestions for topics, please call
the library at (425) 235-2331, or email
Laura Staley at
lstaley@rtc.ctc.edu
The library has over 1300 videos and DVDs covering the RTC curriculum. Want to know if we have anything for your RTC program? Call us at (425) 235-2331.
The library is located at: 3000 NE Fourth St, Renton, WA 98056
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Avoiding Workplace Harassment |
Harassment lowers productivity and damages workplace morale. It can also lead to heavy financial penalties. In 2005, US courts awarded 104.8 million dollars in damages for harassment claims. The year before, they awarded 168.6 million. (EEOC Litigation Statistics.)
This record indicates that many are unaware that harassment of “protected classes” is illegal. Protected classes may include minorities, women, and older people. Given this fact, coaching students to avoid harassing behavior is worth the time spent. These are some RTC Library resources that can help you teach this lesson.
It’s About Respect: Recognizing Harassment in a Diverse Workplace. Call number: 658.3145 ITS-ABO 2002r. How often have you heard “I’m afraid to joke with anyone. I don’t know what might be taken wrong.” This video does an excellent job of demonstrating the kinds of subtle (and overt) behavior that can constitute racial, sexual, ethnic, or age-related harassment. 21 minutes, and includes a workbook with exercises.
Sexual Harassment : You Make the Call. Call number: 344.01413 SEXUAL 1998h Vignettes of various workplace situations that might or might not constitute sexual harassment. The presenters discuss the circumstances and define useful terms. (The video can be paused for class discussion.) The Leader’s guide includes a pre-and post-test, discussion questions, overhead masters with definitions of such terms as “hostile environment” and “quid pro quo”. 19 minutes.
About.com: Human Resources: Hostile Environment Claims— Not Limited to Sexual Harassment. Examples of hostile environment cases. http://humanresources.about.om/od/legalissues/a/harassment.htm
US EEOC: Types of Discrimination. Covers what constitutes harassment, and when it violates federal law. The sidebar has useful web links. http://www.eeoc.gov/types/harassment.html
Washington State Human Rights Commission, FAQ. This site offers up-to-date state information on human rights issues in Washington state. http://www.hum.wa.gov/generalInfo/faq.htm
Conflict happens in every workplace, but there is little formal training on how to deal with it. These videos give students strategies for handling disagreements at work.
The Art of Resolving Conflicts in the Workplace. Call number: 303.69 ART-OF 1992r. This looks at how people can attempt to produce a win-win outcome in workplace conflicts. Techniques include choosing language to avoid a defensive reaction, defusing conflict by anticipating reactions, appealing to self-interest to find a solution, and how to state consequences to help resolve conflict. The Study Guide offers 12 exercises to use in class.
37 minutes.
Difficult People: How to Deal With Them. Call number: 158.2 DIFFICU 1997p VHS. Sometimes the problem is one problematical person. This video looks at the seven most common types of difficult people: Hostile-Aggressives, Complainers, Clams, Super-Agreeable, Negativists, Know-it-Alls, and Indecisives. Each personality type is discussed, and the video provides demonstrations of how to deal with them. The clothing and hairstyles are dated (1980’s) but the material is still good. 38 minutes.
Solving Conflict: For managers, supervisors, and Team Leaders. Call number: 303.69 SOLVING 1993c . This video is for anyone who supervises or leads a group. It examines how to uncover the problem at the bottom of the conflict, how to set rules for discussion, how to create a plan to change and get a commitment from the participants, and how to follow up to make sure that necessary changes happen. 27 minutes.