Spotlight on sexual harassment prevention training in wake of IMF scandal

(Alpharetta, GA – June 13, 2011) A new spotlight has been turned on the need for sexual harassment prevention training for hotel staff. This comes after last month’s arrest of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) former president, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, following allegations of his sexual assault of a housekeeper in a $3,000-a-night penthouse suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan.

The explosive coverage of the IMF scandal has lead to several subsequent studies revealing how inappropriate behavior can run rampant within hotels. Whether inappropriate behavior is perpetrated by guests or staff members, an environment that tacitly expects hotel staff to endure hostility, sexual or otherwise, ultimately exposes the property to litigation and liability.

Earlier this month, the Venza Group (VLS), the hospitality-industry’s learning solutions leader, announced the launch of a series of corporate compliance and workforce effectiveness modules and their partnership with Arnall Golden Gregory (AGG), a full service law firm with deep experience serving the regulatory and legal compliance needs of the hospitality industry. In the wake of the IMF scandal, it’s no surprise that the very first module available from the compliance series is Sexual Harassment Prevention for Hoteliers. Highly interactive and engaging, the module consists of real-world, hospitality-based scenarios that serve to illustrate the finer legal points of sexual harassment and reveal the importance of maintaining a hospitable, harassment-free environment for all hotel staff.

VLS President/CEO, Jeff Venza, said the following about the initiative, “We are proud to now provide compliance courses, a significant addition to the host of training solutions we offer the hospitality industry.”

Powered by the Venza Group’s Learning Management System (LMS), the Sexual Harassment Prevention for Hoteliers module is available on a subscription-basis, open for self-registration. Managers may easily enroll team members and assign the course. The LMS also allows managers to validate that their team members took the course, generate transcripts and run reports. All of this helps to provide the essential layers of legal protection to properties that aim to track their compliance training initiatives.

For properties that are looking to establish harassment-free environments and to train their employees to comply with legal requirements, the Sexual Harassment Prevention for Hoteliers carries the gravitas of AGG’s 62 years of legal experience along with the Venza Group’s reputation for training excellence for the hospitality industry.

About VENZA

VENZA is passionate about the development of technology and services that enable hotels to feel more secure concerning guest data breaches and human vulnerability. With decades of experience, VENZA has the knowledge and experience to empower hotels and their employees to tackle the dynamic cybercrime and guest security landscape.

Over 10,000 properties in over 100 countries look to the VENZA for tools, technology, and strategic security support. Founded in 2008, VENZA is a privately held company and headquartered in Roswell, GA. For more information, please call 770.685.6500 or visit www.VenzaGroup.com.
Contact:

Daniel Johnson
Chief Operations Officer