Distinguish Between the Two Forms of Sexual Harassment: Quid Pro Quo Harassment and Hostile Work Environment

Management Human Resources Unit II Assesment

Distinguish between the two forms of sexual harassment: quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment. Provide an example of each.

As a human resource manager, there are two types of sexual harassment you will deal with. Quid pro quo and hostile work environment are the two types. Quid pro quo is defined as the exchange of sexual favors for job benefits (Ivancevich 2010). Findings from the case of Pease v. Alford Photo Industries, Inc, showed that there are 5 elements in a quid pro quo complaint. They are plaintiff must have a protected class status, the harassment based on sex, the plaintiff submitted to unwanted sexual advances, and employer awareness of the harassment. Furthermore, in a quid pro quo compliant, the employer is always liable because the supervisor’s acts are considered as acts of the employer (Ivancevich, 2010). An example of quid pro quo harassment would be, that a supervisor makes a sexual advance on an employee, but threatens them not to be considered for a job opening that he or she may be qualified and available for. Also, hostile work environment is the other form of harassment HR managers deal with. Hostile work environment is considered as an offensive work environment. In the case of Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, the Supreme Court found that harassment that alters conditions of plaintiff’s or creates an abusive work environment are conditions for hostile work environment. These do not have to include a tangible job detriment (Ivancevich, 2010). Examples of creating a hostile work could be, a supervisor or co-worker, telling a joke that is sexually oriented that offends a co-worker.

When may an organization legally hire based upon “religion, sex, or national origin”? Provide an example of a job that would permit such a restriction. (I example for each of the three qualifications).

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