The Bystander Challenge

The Bystander Challenge

Learn to be an upstander who addresses challenges with respect and dignity.

One thing is certain in workplaces today: At some point, someone is going to make an inappropriate comment or behave in a way that may make people feel uncomfortable. This behavior, when left unaddressed, can escalate to the point where an individual feels harassed by their coworker.

In The Bystander Challenge, an interactive workshop developed by the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC), we explore the bystander’s role in changing this dynamic. Increasingly, bystanders are being asked to become upstanders who stand up to “red-flag” behavior. However, this may be easier said than done, as workplace dynamics can make it challenging to choose the correct course of action.

While notices to define and raise awareness about harassment and directives are common in workplaces, few programs teach people how to communicate with each other when they perceive red flags. NCRC equips people to have these challenging conversations in a way that demonstrates respect, inclusiveness, and dignity for everyone involved.

In a safe learning space, participants gain confidence using these skills, which are reinforced through thoughtful interactive exercises and reflective conversations. The training has a proven positive impact on workplace culture and perceptions of safety.

Goals of The Bystander Challenge

By the end of the course, participants will have the ability to:

  • Identify the reasons for inaction on the part of bystanders.
  • Reflect on their own values and how they may affect their decision to take action.
  • Evaluate situations with clarity to decide what to do.
  • Learn effective strategies to communicate concerns.
  • Consider ways in which their co-worker may respond.

Q1: What is the new CA law requiring all companies to offer anti-harassment training?

Many of you have heard about a new law signed into effect in 2019 that impacts all businesses in California. This law states that all businesses with five or more employees must send all of their employees through anti-harassment training. Previously, there was a law in effect, SB 1825, that required companies in California to send all of their managers and supervisors through mandatory anti-harassment training, and that’s still in effect. With this new law, the major change is that it now requires all of the other employees to also go through anti-harassment training. Originally, the deadline to have all of your employees trained was January 1, 2020. But there was a new bill signed into effect recently, SB 778, that extends that deadline to January 1, 2021. This is great news for all of us because we have an opportunity to get our workforce trained. That doesn’t mean that we should take it easy and not take steps to get our workforce going. We encourage you to give the National Conflict Resolution Center a call so that you can get your employees trained.

How does The Bystander Challenge help fulfill an organization’s anti-harassment training requirements?

The Bystander Challenge, fulfills the legal requirement for anti-harassment training in all 50 states in the U.S. We have multiple versions of The Bystander Challenge, which fulfill both the training requirement for both supervisory and (for some states) non-supervisory employees. Those are two different classes and we can train managers and supervisors in one group and employees in another group.

What makes The Bystander Challenge different from other anti-harassment training is that instead of only covering what harassment is, how to identify it and what to do when you see it, The Bystander Challenge looks at all of the things that lead to harassment, to try to prevent it from happening in the first place. Furthermore, it teaches the bystander how to take practical steps to address “red-flag” behavior.

Q3: Is there a version of The Bystander Challenge that also fulfills the anti-harassment requirement for managers and supervisors?

There is a version of the Bystander Challenge that has been designed specifically for managers and supervisors. It fulfills the AB 1825 legal requirement to train managers and supervisors with two hours of anti-harassment training and also takes a look at this idea of empowering bystander communication from a manager’s perspective.

Is this training offered as an online course or in-classroom?

The Bystander Challenge is offered both as an online course or as a live workshop (either virtual or in person). The benefits of the online course work very well for companies that have large workforces that are difficult to get together for multiple classroom sessions. The live workshop is very beneficial for groups that want to dive into some practical experience. We use examples and role-plays, to evaluate various scenarios and practice difficult conversations around these topics. Both the online course and the live version are very interactive, requiring participants to think thoughtfully and critically about the topics in front of them. Some companies opt to do a combination of both; training the majority of the workforce in the online course and then a select number of individuals in the classroom course.

Is there a version of The Bystander Challenge that doesn’t cover the anti-harassment laws?

There is also a version of The Bystander Challenge that doesn’t include the anti-harassment and discrimination laws. This is a great option for companies who have already found a training that fulfills their anti-harassment training requirement. We highly encourage companies to consider The Bystander Challenge even if they have already fulfilled their legal training requirements, because it demonstrates a commitment to a positive work environment where everyone feels safe and respected. By empowering employees to speak up when they see red flags, companies create an environment that prevents harassment from happening in the first place.

Q6: How much does the training cost?

The National Conflict Resolution Center has worked hard to make sure that the Bystander Challenge is priced in a way where it’s accessible to companies of all sizes. There are two ways that we structure our pricing. One is for the online course, and one is for in-classroom workshops. For the online course, licenses are outlined as follows. For up to 250 users per year cost the company $5,000. For 251 to 1000 users cost the company $7,500. For 1001 users up to 5000 users cost the company $10,000 for 5001 users up to 10,000 users cost a company $15,000 10,001 to 15,000 users is $20,000. And then anything over 15,000 users is $25,000. And again, those are annual costs for the in-person workshops. The workshops are rated at $3,700 per workshop. Generally, that’s for up to 25 participants, although there is some fluidity with that which we can discuss on a customized consultation call. $3,700 is the cost per workshop for one to 10 trainings. If you have more than 10 trainings and under 30 trainings, the cost is $3,000 per workshop. For more than 30 trainings, you’re looking at about $2,500 per workshop. That cost includes facilitators, all participant materials and any customization that needs to be done for your workplace or industry.

Ready to Get Started?

For more information please contact Allison Patterson

(619) 394-7301 |Email Allison

Email Allison