Respect Outside Aims to End Sexual Harassment in the Outdoor Industry

January 8, 2020

Bend, OR: In January, Respect Outside (RO) officially launched their campaign to end gender bias and sexual harassment in the outdoor industry. Citing a need for prevention-based trainings which speak to the adventurous, wild-natured employees of the industry, co-founders Gina McClard and Jim Miller created their Equity Through Action method, which aims to unearth, unfurl, and undo the deeply held bias and prejudice which lead to harmful attitudes and behaviors in the workplace.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that 2018 saw a 50-percent increase in sexual harassment lawsuits over 2017. Overall, the federal agency recovered nearly $70 million in 2018 for targets of sexual harassment. The conclusion is obvious: ending workplace harassment is good for business and for employees. Miller, a longtime member of the outdoor industry, says of their mission “Outdoor enthusiasts have a certain code of ethics: we respect the environment, lead by example to educate newcomers, and foster trust among groups. Our objective is to bring these principles into the workplace to make our industry one of respect and inclusion. A big part of this is helping organizations create policies which reinforce their core values and ensure equity and civility are as ingrained in the workplace culture as they are in the culture of the outdoors itself.”

To create an outdoor industry free from harassment and discimination, Respect Outside offers:

• Employee Sexual Misconduct Training, Executive-Suite Coaching, and HR Management Solutions which meet state and federal requirements.
• Prevention-based education, safe reporting practices, and moving forward after incidents of harassment and discrimination.
• Messaging which speaks to the unique persona of the outdoor employee/ business, including manufacturers, retailers, outfitters, nonprofits, government agencies, camps, and universities.

About Respect Outside

Respect Outside provides sexual-misconduct and gender-discrimination prevention trainings to businesses in the outdoor industry. Based in Bend, OR, and founded in 2019 by Gina McClard, J.D. and Jim Miller, RO is the culmination of Gina’s 25+ years as a lawyer/ anti-sexual-violence crusader and Jim’s 30+ years in the outdoors industry. As a team, the two merge their respective expertise to bring about a workplace revolution which ensures equitable treatment for people of all genders.

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