Sexual Harassment

Abstract

Sexual harassment doesn’t just affect the victim and the accuser. It has far reaching implications for the company as well. Sexual harassment policies can be implemented to ensure a safe environment and reduce employer liability. There are strategies that can be executed to show commitment from the executives to the laypeople. Anti sexual harassment just takes dedication and commitment.

Sexual harassment is an ongoing problem. But how does one define sexual harassment? What risks are associated with sexual harassment? How should a company deal with sexual harassment? Has sexual harassment definition been taken too far?

Companies are at risk from sexual harassment. In fact, research conducted by a workplace diversity consulting firm determined that in addition to legal expenses, sexual harassment complaints can cost a typical Fortune 500 company $6.7 million per year in absenteeism, turnover and lost productivity (Davidhizar, Dowd, and Erdel, 2008). These costs in conjunction with the cost of new employee training, and the embarrassment of a sexual harassment lawsuit can force a company into financial distress.

Riophe states that feminists and liberal pundits say, with some indignation, that they are not talking about dirty jokes or misguided compliments when they talk about sexual harassment, but, in fact, they are: sexual harassment, as they’ve defined it, encompasses a wide and colorful spectrum of behaviors. Sexual harassment can result from conscious or unconscious behavior. Sexual harassment can be blatant or subtle. The interpretation is left up to the victim.

Codes of sexual harassment imagine an entirely symmetrical universe, where people are never outrageous, rude, awkward, excessive or confused, where sexual interest is always absent or reciprocated, in other words a universe that does not entirely resemble our own (Riophe, 2011). There is a line demarking what sexual harassment is and what is not, and it needs to be defined further than just a definition in a handbook. Sexual harassment policy needs to be defined to encompass interpretation.

In the defining of sexual harassment and policy creation, has the effort been too much? Sexual harassment policies try to make unhostile work environments, but they have succeeded in some arenas to make the aforementioned work environments hostile in other ways. If sexual harassment policies are too strict there is a chance of lowering morale and teamwork will deteriorate. Employees will be on their guard all the time not wanting to interact with other employees for the fear of a sexual harassment lawsuit.

There are several things that companies can do to help prevent sexual harassment and to keep morale and productivity up. The first thing employers need to do is to understand the definition of sexual harassment.