Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment

Types and Prevention

THESIS STATEMENT: In today's society 40 percent of the nation's 55 million working women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.

Sexual harassment is unacceptable conduct and should not be tolerated in a working environment. Management at all levels should be committed to creating and maintaining and environment conducive to maximum productivity and respect for human dignity. Sexual harassment destroys teamwork and is detrimental to the success of the organizational business strategy. An organization builds its success on how well each employee accomplishes their daily work assignments. A successful working environment can only be achieved in an environment free of sexual harassment for all personnel.

Sexual harassment negatively affects how well the organization performs. Any manager and supervisor, who use or condone any form of sexual harassment behaviors to control, influence or affect the career, pay or job of an employee is engaging in sexual harassment. Similarly, any employee, regardless of his or her employment status, who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature, is engaging in sexual harassment (The Free Dictionary).

Sexual harassment is defined as "unwanted sexual approaches (including touching, feeling, groping) and/or repeated unpleasant, degrading and/or sexist remarks directed toward an employee with the implied suggestion that the target's employment status, promotion or favorable treatment depend upon a positive response and/or "cooperation." (The Free Dictionary )Sexual harassment can occur with or without an individual knowing that his or her behavior is offending a person or a group of people. The key word in the definition is unwanted or welcome; this is prohibited by the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1998, the United States Supreme Court made employers more liable for sexual harassment of their employees. (Commission)

There are two different types of sexual harassment that have been recognized in employment law: Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment. Quid Pro Quo is a Latin term meaning "this for that". This term refers to conditions placed on a person's career or terms of employment in return for sexual favors. It involves threats of adverse action if the person does not submit or promises of favorable actions if the person does not submit. Examples include demanding sexual favors in exchange for a promotion; award for favorable assignments or projects; disciplining or firing an employee for refusing sexual advancements and a poor job evaluation. Incidents of "quid pro quo" may also have an effect on third persons in the workplace.

Hostile Environment occurs