Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Definition:
According to the EEOC, sexual harassment is defined as:
- Any unwelcome sexual advances,
- Requests for sexual favors, and
- Verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
- submission to this conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or
condition of an individual's employment,
- submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the
basis for employment decisions affecting such individual,
- and such conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work
environment.
Types:
Quid pro quo - This phrase basically means
“something for something.”
- For instance, a manager or supervisor promises to give you
a pay raise, promotion, transfer, etc. in exchange for some sexual favor or
possibly you are passed over for promotion, not given
a pay increase, transferred, etc. because you did not agree to the sexual favor.
Hostile Work Environment - Comments or conduct based on sex , sexually
orientated material, or other offensive material is considered harassment when
they unreasonably interfere with an employee's work. These include any thing
that is:
- Unwelcome, Severe, or Pervasive
- Intimidating, Hostile, or Offensive
Potential Victims or Harassers
Many times there will be more than just one victim when sexual
harassment occurs.
- Any employee who was passed over for a promotion because
someone else received the promotion due to quid pro quo harassment is
also a victim.
- If a hostile work environment is created by a person's unwelcome
actions, then it is possible that more than one employee is affected.
- A victim is anyone who is
adversely affected by sexual
harassment in the workplace.
Potential Victims or Harassers
- Sexual harassment victims can be female or male. Harassment can
occur between members of the opposite sex (male to female or female to
male) as well as members of the same sex (male to male
or female to female.)
- Harassment can come from many sources and even from outside the
company. Managers, supervisors, coworkers, customers, vendors,
suppliers, delivery drivers, contractors and sales representatives can all be
capable of engaging in harassing conduct.
Inappropriate Conduct and Behavior
While some sexual situations may seem funny on TV or in a movie,
when the behavior is real the effects are not so funny.
Many actions are considered or could be considered forms
of sexual harassment in the workplace. Such actions include,
but are not limited to:
- Staring or leering in a suggestive manner.
- Making offensive remarks about someone's looks, clothing
and/or body.
- Touching, pinching, patting and brushing against someone in
a manner that creates an uncomfortable feeling.
- Telling sexual or offensive jokes or making sexual gestures.
- Displaying sexually related material such as posters
or calendars.
- Sending sexually related material via email, letters or notes.
Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work