Those considering a job at Denver-based Jackson National Life Insurance might be impressed with its assurance, posted on its career website, that “our people are what make us truly unique.”

The website also promises applicants: “Our diverse group of innovators, pacesetters, creators, go-getters, pioneers, visionaries and reformers bring our values to life every day. Are you ready to see what’s in store for you at Jackson? We realize that our company will only be as successful as our people.”

Despite these assurances, the company agreed this month to pay $20.5 million to settle a lawsuit from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission involving 21 complainants. The suit alleged that the company tolerated a work environment that was hostile to female and African American employees in its Denver and Nashville offices.

What could be so intolerable to create such liability? Some of the allegations included:

• calling African American employees “lazy”;
• throwing stress balls at African American employees;
• subjecting African American employees to racially demeaning cartoons;
• having a high-level manager refer to multiple African American female employees as “resident street walkers”; and
• having men make sexual comments and leering at women.

The misconduct alleged to have originated from the top. One high-level male manager even is alleged to have kissed subordinate females on their lips.

The EEOC also alleged the company discriminated against women and African American employees in pay and promotion.

Many companies tout the virtues of respect and diversity and then in reality promote and endure an exact opposite culture.

Here are the five factors to consider when determining if an organization is merely talking the talk or walking the walk:

1. It offers live training for all managers: Online or computer-based training for harassment, bullying and respect is compliance training and will unlikely change culture. Live training that is interactive where people can truly consider their own actions and understand the expectations is a greater investment in time and resources. It also is more likely to yield the necessary results.

2. The company makes the training mandatory: Frequently clients will tell me that the company doesn’t require training and that it will be optional. The flip side is when I conduct training at a company where the training isn’t mandatory and all managers attend the civility training anyway. That’s a good culture.

3. The company’s executives attend the training: This is a big test. If the executives (including the CEO or executive director) don’t have time for the training, they have not bought into the need for a respectful workplace. The purpose of the training is to set common expectations and help attendees come to their own understanding and decision to avoid the negative behaviors. In fact, executives should be the first ones to attend.

4. Companies offer the training not just to managers: When I conduct training, I am clear about the rights of every employee to come to work and be free from harassment and discrimination, and I explain what to do if anyone feels that such behavior has happened to them — or someone else. Organizations that expose themselves to that type of transparency truly want a culture of respect and want to know if something is happening otherwise so they can fix it.

5. Organizations conduct follow-up training: Training on respectful workplaces should not be a one-time event. The best organizations know that their job is not done when the trainer leaves. The job is just beginning. Keeping the priority of a respectful workplace front of mind is the only way to make sure that the organization is implementing its policies and the law and creating a truly respectful workplace.