New CCH Shared Learning™ Multimedia Training System Combines Power Of Technology, Authoritative Expertise To Help Combat Sexual Harassment

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., June 28, 1999) – As recent Supreme Court decisions and federal regulatory issuances continue to focus a bright light on the issue of sexual harassment, companies looking to uphold the law and avoid serious legal liabilities are anxious to ensure they have effective prevention programs in place, according to CCH INCORPORATED, a leading provider of human resources and employment law information.

To help employers ensure that both supervisors and employees understand what constitutes sexual harassment and what they need to do to prevent it, CCH is introducing a new multimedia training system, Shared Learning™ Sexual Harassment Prevention Training — an interactive multimedia training system designed to help create a harassment-free workplace and to document employers’ good-faith efforts.

The new training resource makes the law come alive and integrates CCH’s authoritative content and expertise with state of the art technology and practical insights from Jackson Lewis — one of the leading law firms in the area of employment law.

CCH’s Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention Training will be introduced at the Society for Human Resource Management’s 51st Annual Conference and Exposition, held June 27–30 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, where thousands of human resources professionals from around the country will consider today’s top HR challenges and how to meet them.

Effective Program is Key to Prevention

As employers and their HR professionals know, what companies don’t do to combat sexual harassment can come back to haunt them in the form of lost productivity, a disruptive workplace or even costly settlements and damages.

"The Supreme Court’s recent Faragher decision and guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued as recently as June 18 stress the importance of supervisory training as an example of how employers should take responsibility for preventing harassment," according to Marjorie Johnson, JD, CCH human resources and employment law analyst.

"By implication, well-documented training, followed up with appropriate investigation and resolution of complaints, should lessen employers’ exposure and serve as evidence of good faith," said Johnson.

Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention presents modules for both employees and supervisors. Upon completion of the training, everyone in an organization should understand why it is important to know about sexual harassment, be able to recognize what it is and what it is not, know what actions to avoid and, if they are supervisors, know how to respond effectively to a sexual harassment complaint.

The Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention system uses the power of interactive CD-ROM technology to blend video clips, animation and interactive quizzes into an engaging learning experience that participants can move through at their own pace. An administration module tracks the progress of all users and generates documentation reports that capture information such as employee name, department, pass/fail score and date of finish.

Practical Guidance, Expertise from the Frontline

CCH developed Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention in consultation with the workplace law experts of Jackson Lewis. Together, they incorporated practical expertise and insights that employers need to know to secure the effectiveness of their sexual harassment prevention strategy. The program features two outstanding practitioners, Michael J. Lotito and Lynn C. Outwater, partners at Jackson Lewis, as presenters.

First in a Series

Sexual Harassment Prevention is the first in a series of Shared Learning CD-ROM and Intranet-based programs that will combine CCH’s authoritative understanding of human resources and employment law with the training benefits of video, audio and other electronic media that engage employees in practical, effective interactive training.

"With the Shared Learning system, we’re applying our traditional strengths in legal reporting and analysis to provide a cost-effective turnkey solution to organizations where compliance with human resources and employment law makes a crucial difference," said CCH Human Resources Director of New Product Development, Lou Bahin. "The system eliminates the time and expense of preparing and presenting training, with the assurance of accurate, authoritative content provided by CCH, a leading provider of employment law information."

System Requirements

The CCH multimedia training system Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention runs on Windows 95/98/NT4.0 computers equipped with a Pentium 100 or equivalent, 16MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, 16-bit sound card and 12MB available hard disk space. The program can be customized to meet users’ needs and can be installed on an Intranet.

Availability and Pricing

For more information on Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention, contact your CCH sales representative at 1 888 CCH REPS (1-888-224-7377). Price for the program is $595 plus $10 per user. Expected shipping date is third quarter,1999.

Attendees of the SHRM annual meeting in Atlanta are invited to visit the CCH exhibit booths 309 and 311 for a presentation of Shared Learning Sexual Harassment Prevention Training.

About CCH INCORPORATED

CCH INCORPORATED, Riverwoods, Ill., is a leading provider of employment law information and software for human resource professionals, including Human Resources Management, Pension Plan Guide, Benefits Guide and Payroll Management Guide. CCH also provides tax and business law information in print and electronic form for accounting, legal, health care and small business professionals. CCH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer U.S. The CCH web site can be accessed at www.cch.com.

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