Training Day
California targets sexual harassment at work. As if there weren’t enough legal issues for California apartment firms, a 2004 law (signed by a governor who was once accused of sexual harassment) has specified that companies with 50 or more employees must provide sexual harassment training and education to all supervisory employees by the end of 2005.
Kara Rice, vice president of Grace Hill, an Augusta, Ga.-based multifamily training firm that provides online classes on avoiding sexual harassment, says she has noticed a slight increase in business because of the new law. “It’s nothing big, because a lot of companies are already doing training,” she says. “But the passing of this law has made people stand up and take notice.”
Of course, some other companies have been paying attention to such issues all along. “Before this law came into effect, we already had an online training course,” says Darcey Forbes, training coordinator for Essex Property Trust in Palo Alto, Calif.
Still, Rice thinks companies should be prepared. “We’re advising our clients that if they have already been offering training on sexual harassment, now is the time to audit their training records to ensure all super-visors have indeed received the appropriate education as well as to assemble documentation of this training such as course completion certificates or seminar sign-in sheets,” she says.
–Les Shaver
Executive Feedback
Are you concerned that transit attacks in Europe will affect the appeal of transit-oriented housing here in the United States?
A: “I’m not concerned. After disasters, whether terror attacks or natural ones, people rebuild and get on with life. How many times has Florida rebuilt after hurricanes? And after 9/11, Washington, D.C., is experiencing a housing boom, not the feared exodus.”
–John McIlwain, senior resident fellow, ULI
A: “Transit-based housing will remain a critical component of high-density multifamily housing, despite the London and Madrid tragedies. Growing populations and urban regentrification will continue to drive demand despite these events. However, the real estate industry has a duty to work closely with urban planners and safety personnel to ensure prudent steps are taken to maximize security for the general population.”
–Brian P. Ward, president and CEO, Orion Residential
A: “We are currently developing transit-oriented condominium developments in Atlanta and Denver. While we find the events in Madrid and London to be tragic, we do not believe they will have a direct impact on the success of these projects. Cities such as New York, Chicago, and Wash- ington, D.C., might be more vulnerable, but the convenience and lifestyle [of transit-oriented housing] simply outweigh the risks.”
–Mark Randall, director, Wood Partners