Small Business Ownership & Management Model

Units:

Tags

Lesson Plan Industry Sector
No Industries

Lesson Plan Originally Created By: Debbie Garcia

Do NOT Cross The Line!

Part of Unit: Risk Management

Lesson Plan Overview / Details

Students will understand the role an employer holds to make sure sexual harassment in the workplace does not take place.  Students will view a PowerPoint, view a short video, record thoughts, and discuss various sexual harassment scenarios and be able to define harassment in its various forms. Discussion of policy and risk for both employer and employee will follow with a culminating test.  This subject contains risky and uncomfortable content and discussion.  Students may experience emotional reaction to this material. 

Lesson Time

1 - 2 class periods
2 Days

Objectives and Goals

Students will know the risk management principles associated with small business ownership.

Activities in this Lesson

  • Personal Space - Hooks / Set

    Have you ever felt uncomfortable when someone moved into your personal space?  Have you ever had someone say inappropriate comments to you?

    As students enter the classroom, play a version of “Cross the Line” game. Ask students to remain standing as they enter the classroom.  Instruct students to “cross the line” or move to one of four labeled areas/corners of the room (Quid Pro Quo, Verbal Insult, Physical Insult, Graphic Insult) as they identify most closely with statements read by the teacher.  An alternative activity is for students to use scratch paper to make a tally list for themselves.  As each scenario is read aloud by the teacher, students are to make a tally mark on their paper if the scenario applies.  A discussion about the different types of harassment can be addressed after the activity.

    Students record feelings, thoughts, and impressions in classroom journal.  Students answer these questions:  What is harassment?  What are the risks of  harassment in business?  What are other uncomfortable interactions that may take place in the workplace?

    Students research Key Terms and record both the terms and definitions in their journals.

    • Cross the Line Scenarios [ Download ] Scenarios for Cross the Line Activity
    • Harassment Terms [ Download ] Terms to Research and Record in Journal
  • Defining Harassment and Liability - Lecture

    Today’s objective is to define harassment, know what information employers must include in a company policy, understand the risks to business, and understand the importance of educating employees. Finally, the student will learn the laws that protect them from all types of harassment and how to deal with uncomfortable workplace situations.  It is more important than ever before for employers to know how to minimize the chance of being held liable for harassment that violates federal and state discrimination laws.  What applies to sexual harassment can easily be applied to other forms of harassment that violate discrimination laws, such as racial, ethnic, religious, age-based, and disability-based harassment.  In all cases, liability can, under some circumstances, be unavoidable, and in other situations, it can be avoided, but in all instances, if proper steps are taken, it can be minimized.

    Show and Discuss the Harassment PowerPoint - Slides 1 -23

    Due to three key Supreme Court decisions on sexual harassment in 1998 (Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Elierth, 524 U.S. 742 (1998); Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 524 U.S. 775 (1998); and Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., 524 U.S. 75 (1998), it is more important than ever before for employers to know how to minimize the chance of being held liable for harassment that violates federal and state discrimination laws, such as racial, ethnic, religious, age-based, and disability-based harassment.  In all cased, liability can, under some circumstances, be unavaoidable, and in other situations, it can be avoided, but in all instances, if proper steps are taken, it can be minimized.

    • Harassment PowerPoint [ Download ] Use slides 1 - 23 for today's lesson
  • Mock Harassment - Demo / Modeling

    Teacher plays the role of an employer, calls on a student volunteer to play the role of an employee.  Then, student employee draws a slip of paper from a container that describes a workplace harassment scenario. The scenario is acted out by the student employee and teacher employer in this mock harassment scenario.  A discussion with the class follows to identify type of action and policy that should be enforced.  After role playing the workplace scenario, the rest of the class will pair up.  Each student in the pair will draw a different scenario from the container.  One of the pair becomes the “employee” and the other becomes the “employer”.  Given a three-minute time limit, the “employee” in each pair will read and act out the scenario while the “employer” in the pair offers an appropriate workplace policy or action to be taken.  After three minutes, the teacher calls “switch”.  The mock harassment activity is repeated. 

    • Sexual Harassment Scenarios [ Download ] Students will use scenarios in role playing to better understand and identify company policies and state/federal law.

Assessment

Assessment Types:
Teacher-Made Test,

The final assessment will evaluate student understanding of small business management liability and risk through an example of harassment in the workplace.  The teacher will select two scenarios used in the mock harassment role playing.  Each student will be provided with two scenarios (mix up which two you provide students).  Instruct the students to write a half-page response/opiinion to each scenario and include how employee training and company policies would address the issues to minimize risk to the business.