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Using virtual reality for workplace sexual harassment training could help workers and supervisors comprehend the nuances of sexual harassment, what it looks like and how the power dynamics of workplace sexual harassment can damage the careers and the well-being of those harassed. Morgan Mercer, CEO of enterprise training platform Vantage Point, believes virtual reality-based training can provide the immersive experiences that are key to unlocking empathy, action and change. The situations are as real as they can be and individuals have agency over each situation, and through the training, employees can speak up and call human resources to help identify inappropriate situations. Human resources can even call employees to pinpoint situations that are questionable and should be reported. Mercer says the goal of this type of virtual reality training is to ensure each employee can see situations from different perspectives, including the role of manager, the person reporting a situation or a bystander. The goal is to help employees understand what harassment is and what actions they should take to stop and prevent it from occurring, she says. Mercer adds that human resources can analyze the data and feedback from each employee’s session and recommend additional training to ensure that workplace harassment is reduced through continuous improvement.

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