Sexual Harassment In The

Workplace

Wilmington University
August 7, 2010

Jacquelyn Dunkley-Brown
Debra Grigioni
Tiffany Jones
Kevin Berry
Dustin Lausch
 Sex in Overdrive
We live in a world that bombards us with sex on TV,
advertising , music, and movies …

…Unfortunately, it infiltrates the work place

 The Meaning of Sexual Harassment
• A form of gender discrimination
• Unwelcome sexual advances from either
genders
• Request for sexual favors
• Other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature
 Three Criteria
There are three important criteria for determining if
sexual harassment has occurred
• SEX: The gender of the recipient or the offender is not relevant.
Sexual harassment is unwanted sexually suggestive physical
actions or verbal remarks that crosses the barrier of
professionalism.
• FREQUENCY: Refers to repeated behavior. In subtle cases of
harassment, where the behavior is not conspicuously bad or
offensive, this is an important basis to determine the severity.
• SEVERITY: Relates to the level of the behavior— whether it is
physically threatening, humiliating, or an offensive remark.
 Gender Sexual Harassment

• Majority of complaints come from women

• Complaints from men are less frequent, and
involve both male and (increasingly) female
supervisors
• Very few complaints from women against
women
Truths about Sexual Harassment Cases 
Speaking up does more than change policies, it
brings spotlight to places that have overlooked
them, which results in settlements.

Fact:
• In 2009, the Equal Employment opportunity commission (EEOC) and state
equivalents received 12, 696 complaints of unlawful sexual harassment
and resolved 11,948 complaints.

Fact:
• In that same year, sexual harassment pay-out to U.S. employers, excluding
cases that went to trial, totaled 51.5 million
 Causes of Sexual Harassment

•Intimate and intense work relationships

•Sharing common interest
•Depend on each other for teamwork and support
•Depend on supervisors’ approval for Opportunities and
career success
•Staff and managers can be accustomed to power they both
may have
•Physical closeness can blur professional boundaries
•Workplace bulling
 Causes of sexual harassment (cont.)

• No occupation is immune to sexual

harassment
– Blue and white collar positions
• Firefighters, police, mining, medical, technology
• Sexual harassment is less about sex and more
about control and domination
 Terminology

There are two specific legal terms in

employment law relating to Sexual Harassment:

1. Quid Pro Quo

2. Hostile Work Environment

 Quid Pro Quo Harassment

• Something for something

• A job benefit of any kind that is directly tied

to a sexual encounter
 Hostile Work Environment
Harassment
• Defined as an occurrence when an employee
is subject to comments of a sexual nature,
offensive sexual material, or unwanted
physical contact as a regular part of the work
environment

http://www.kantola.com/
Do you remember the Platinum Rule?
“Treat others the way they want to be treated”

– Examine the photograph and caption in the next slide

– What is happening?
– Could it be interpreted as Sexual Harassment? 
???
 What does this mean to me?

• Behavior does not have to be in sexual in

nature
– Unwanted behavior, treating someone differently
simply because you are a woman or a man
– Stereotyping due to gender can be considered
sexual harassment
Your Subjective Can Be The Objective…

• Keep in mind that sexual harassment is

subjective, and it is experienced through
the recipient, but it can impact many more…

• If an Associate feels the conduct is "offensive"

or "unwelcome," there is a chance a jury may
too.
Sexual harassment cannot exist in an
organization that is committed to a culture of
dignity and respect.
Co-workers should be treated less like objects of fantasy…
…And more like equals.
Questions?