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Sexual harassment and its effects
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1. Should companies have explicit policies on co-workers dating, or is it better to leave things open? Yes, they should have an explicit policy it will cut down on liability that always exists around the employer-employee relationship. Employees want to know what acceptable workplace behavior is. They don 't want to break the policy and ruin their workplace status and career. Relationships shouldn’t be banned but if it affects someone work than they will have to be let go. The only relationship that will be banned is superior subordinate relationship. I think a contract should be put in place when coworkers start to date. There are always claims of favoritism, discrimination or harassment. When a workplace romance goes south, it can expose …show more content…
Should such policies forbid superior-subordinate relationships? Yes, there should be a policy that forbids superior subordinate relationships. This would be stated in the employee handbook that this is forbidden. Coworkers would find it easier to claim that an employee received preferential treatment from a supervisor he or she is dating. If the relationship ended badly, one of the employees could claim that the relationship was non-consensual, or that sexual harassment existed. Anyone who is employed in a managerial or supervisory role who has personal relationships with employees who report to him or her may be viewed as favoritism, misuse of authority, or sexual harassment. The relationship will appear to other employees as an inappropriate use of position power (Heathfield, …show more content…
Are women more likely than men to be exploited in sexual relationships on the job? Yes, women are more likely than men to be exploited in sexual relationships on the job because they more often than men lack power, and are in more vulnerable and insecure positions. Roughly 1 in 3 women ages 18 to 34 has been sexually harassed at work, reveals our study of 2,235 fulltime and part-time female employees, conducted by the polling firm SurveyMonkey. Proving that it 's the male boss who 's most likely to sexually harass women, most women polled say 75 percent were targeted by male coworkers and about half were harassed by male clients or customers, compared to 38 percent by male managers. (Ruiz,2016). Men exploiting women in the workplace is related to the male attitude about the proper roles of men in society. Women are subject to discrimination when they receive a lesser valued job assignment, lack of promotions and lower pay. Another way men exploit woman is to make sexual favors and be submission to sexual behaviors for conditions of employment and like to keep from being fired, demoted, or otherwise adversely affected at work. (Sexual harassment - causes of sexual harassment,
“Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conducts of a sexual nature constitute (are) sexual harassment when: (1) submission to (agree to) . . . or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individuals, or (2) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile (threatening), or offensive working environment” (ENotes.com...
Gender discrimination differs from sexual harassment. Gender discrimination “occurs when individuals of one gender are favored in employment decisions over the other gender” (Moran, 2014, p. 243). This can happen to both men and women. Gender harassment is non-sexual in nature, but rather is making offensive remarks about a person’s gender frequently enough to create a hostile work environment. Gender harassment can happen with people of the opposite sex and persons of the same sex (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [U.S. EEOC], n.d.).
...rom occurring in their workplace location. The only way that we can stop these types of behaviors from occurring is by becoming knowledgeable about the topic and making sure everyone is also aware of the topic and the preventative measures that are available. Sexual harassment in the workplace may always be a problem but by working together with those who work around you, we can lower the chances of it happening in your particular workplace.
In “A distressing summer of workplace sexism reminds us how far we have to go” by Susanna Schrobsdorff, the author states, “according to a Pew Research survey released in August, most American men—56%— think sexism is over and done with. More than half believe that “the obstacles that once made it harder or women than men to get ahead are now largely gone. Of course, most women—63%—disagree” (Schrobsdorff 55). The misbelief that sexism still does not exist allows for the culture in which women continue to only be seen as sexual objects and not competent workers. Ehrenreich describes that, “[you should] watch out for Lon, who has a habit of following his female coworkers into service closets” (Ehrenreich 64). Ehrenreich is warned about a potential harassing employee and that it may happen to you, but most importantly, the behavior is normalized instead of trying to stop it. In “Not Just Fox” by Katha Pollitt, she explains that there is a misconception when it comes to being harassed and it is that, “being harassed is not a matter of weakness; it’s about the enormous power differential between worker and boss” (Pollitt 6). This is further supported by “ a 2015 Cosmopolitan survey, 71% of women said they did not file complaints about sexual harassment, likely because they feared appearing difficult or ‘too sensitive.’And they worry about retaliation and job security” (Schrobsdorff 55). Sometimes the person that is doing the harassing is the supervisor or the manager, when this occurs the victim is left with little options that will not disrupt the workplace. She also runs the possibility of being fired solely to avoid a sexual harassment complaint that she may file against him. Ehrenreich states that, “as a dietary aide, as I understand the job, is dependent on a cook as a waitress is[;] He or she
Workplace romance is an issue that has been causing employers to create and enforce a No-Fraternization Policy. A No-Fraternization Policy is sometimes called a “Love Contract,” according to Kathryn Taylor from Society for Humans Resource Management (2008). A love contract is a policy that is signed by those involved in the relationship and the employer. This contract is a testimony stating that the relationship is consensual and voluntary by both. Many employees would say this is an invasion of their privacy but to others, including myself, it’s a protection for them and for the company. The No-Fraternization Policy is valuable because it helps reduce the possibility of harassment, favoritism, and will help keep productivity at a healthy level.
Females are targeted more than males due to their vulnerability, position as being lower than men, and the sexual preferences of society. Many cultures view woman as a possession used for sex and they do not have sexual rights to her own body. “Exploitative employers prefer to use trafficked women—traditionally seen as submissive, cheap, and pliable—for simple and repetitive tasks in agriculture, food processing, labor-intensive manufacturing, and domestic servitude” (US Department of State).
Women are usually targeted because they are seen as the inferior gender in society. They are often displayed as sexual objects in the media, such as in porn and video games. Because of the way women are portrayed in society, they do not have the same opportunities as men. Many people may think that sexism is not an important issue anymore because women are making their way to the top. For instance, Mary Berara, the CEO of General Motors says “There are more women in more senior roles than in 1980 when I started. But from my career perspective, I don 't go into a room and take count. I want to be recognized for my contribution and for what I do” (nymag). Women are pushing themselves to work in higher positions, to prove that they have the same ability as men. Although women are becoming more and more powerful, sexism is still a huge issue today. Women may have higher positions, but they are paid less than men. According to a news article, “In 2012, the median earnings of American women working full time year-round were $37,791. American men earned a median income of $49,398. The gender wage gap has hovered at about 77 cents on the dollar since 2007” (huffington). This proves that sexism is present today since women working in the same jobs as men are paid a lower
Ngo, H. Y., Foley, S., Wong, A., & Loi, R. (2003). Who Gets More of the Pie? Predictors of Perceived Gender Inequity at Work. Journal of Business Ethics, 45(3), 227-241.
The main purpose of this memo is to introduce the company’s sexual harassment policy. This memo will define sexual harassment,
According to a recent study, the causes of sexual harassment in the workforce can be exceedingly difficult due to the fact that employee’s are dependent on each other for team work and support, and are reliant on their supervisor’s approval for time off and career advancement. Supervisors and employers take advantage of their supremacy they have over their employees. Such closeness and intensity can distort the professional boundaries which lead people to cross over the line. The report also reported that Politics can be a catalyst, and problems caused by poor management, workplace bullying, frustration, and job/financial insecurity which creates a hostile environments. Furthermore, personal problems can also play a factor, and sexual harassment can be a symptom of the effects of life traumas, such as divorce, or death of a spouse or child (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace).
Gender does appear to help determine the amount of distance one employee will place between themselves and another employee. It appears as though the men will place themselves closer to women they find attractive. If the woman is not particularly attractive, the man will leave a wider gap between himself and her. For example, one male subject sat closer to a woman who was young and thin, while the same subject left a good distance between himself and the older, heavier woman. Men seem to leave an equal distance between themselves no matter what the situation is, unless there is a disagreement. One of the subjects was upset that he felt he was asked to do something not in his job description. He proceeded to discuss this with his supervisor, who was also a male. When the supervisor told him to just do the requested job, the subject became irate and closed the gap between himself and his boss. This gap remained closed until the disagreement was resolved. Women will also position themselves closer to men they find attractive. One female employee always hugs and gives backrubs to another male employee she finds attractive, while she is just polite to the other male employees. Women also appear to give an equal amount of room between themselves unless a disagreement arises, in which case, the gap closes considerably.
Since the concept of workplace dating is changing, companies must adopt some form of dating polices. Companies can decide to ban dating at all, ask employees to sign a love contract, or allow dating outside of the chain of command. The policy must be clearly defined enforced, and employees must be trained on the policy. Companies can also designate an HR official who can answer employee questions about the policy and report any complaints of sexual harassment or favoritism. Having a dating policy eliminates confusion among
Relationships among workplace peers are the most common type of organizational relationships. At times, these platonic relationships turn romantic which are often regarded as an organizational issue. A workplace romance (WR) is defined as a no-platonic bond between two members of an organization in which both sexual attraction and affection is present (Cowan & Horan, 2014). WRs are common in organizations. According to a poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), found that 40% of employees had been involved in a WR at some point in their careers (Cowan & Horan, 2014). The SHRM also found that over 70% of organizations do not have policies that prohibit WR. One of the most concerning questions that arises regarding workplace
Sexual harassment in the workplace has been a huge problem in recent history. It can happen to anyone, and it can happen everywhere. It can affect all types of races, genders and ages. Statistics today show that more and more sexual harassment has become an issue due to the large number of cases presented. Mainstream media becomes consumed covering sexual harassment because of the high-profile cases.
In today’s workplace, sexual harassment is a growing problem. The legal definition of sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the job that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. Another definition is the making of unwanted and offensive sexual advances or of sexually offensive remarks or acts, especially by one in a superior or supervisory position. Women and men of all ages, backgrounds, races and experience are harassed on the job. Sexual harassment encountered in workplaces is a hazard across the world that reduces the quality of working life, jeopardizes the well-being of women and men, undermines gender equality and imposes costs on firms and organizations.