Prepare a Background Statement to Further Analyze the Problem
The number of sexual harassment cases that are reported each year should be a wakeup call to Corporate America (cost in dollars and productivity) and a concern for society in general (moral collapse). The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reports that from fiscal years 2010-2013, there were 30,580 reported sexual harassment claims resulting in monetary payouts of 173.9 million dollars (Sexual Harassment Charges (EEOC Only), 2014, p.1). Sexual harassment can happen to a man or woman, however as I stated in my previous paper I will research the effects of sexual harassment, specifically a hostile work environment toward women and the effects this has on the victims,
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Until that time, and sometimes even today, sexually harassing behavior in the workplace was seen as a “personal” issue. Something that should be handled quietly with the least amount of impact to the organization. The reason this problem continues to exist and needs further research is to find a solution or solutions to a problem that affects not only business productivity, but has an effect on society as a whole. The following are some reasons many businesses have used in my opinion to explain sexual harassment issues in the workplace, and are reactive to the problem versus being proactive and trying to achieve, zero sexual harassment cases in their organizations:
• Men and women working together each and every day will end in some form of sexual harassment…it is natural and normal.
• Sexual harassment is not clearly defined…what is not acceptable to one person or persons could be totally acceptable to many others.
• A females dress or behavior could encourage some form of sexual harassment.
• Women have entered many professions that in the past were dominated by males, i.e. they do not belong in this type of profession (police, military, construction, etc.).
The impact of sexual harassment on an organization negatively affects four categories of groups (1) employee, (2) co-workers, (3) employer, and (4) society as a whole. The employee is affected in the following ways when they are
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The increase of women in the workforce is only about 30 years old. Prior to that time, the majority of women were homemakers and were not in the workforce in significant numbers. Therefore workplace sexual harassment did not gain the attention of media, lawmakers, labor unions, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and now researchers until recently. However the challenges for females to deal with this type of harassment has been going on since the first day they have entered the workforce! “Researchers estimate that approximately 40% of women have experienced some form of sexual harassment while at work” (Menendez, Snyder, Scherer, & Fisher, 2012, p. 137). Now, Corporate America has not completely ignored this problem within their organizations and have developed policies, educated managers and supervisors with complying with Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, conducted their own research on the issue and provided training, and finally introduced sexual harassment reporting procedures within their organizations. However, according to (McDonald, Graham, & Martin, 2010, p.168) “these responses have worked only in limited ways in drawing attention to how individual behavior reinforces gendered workplace structures and are partly instigated to protect and shield organizations against litigation”. There have been many studies indicating that sexual harassment is widespread
Sexual harassment by definition is based on conduct of a sexual nature. An article on ENotes.com describes sexual harassment as;
In Chapter 11 of William Shaw’s The Organization and the People in It goes over issue of sexual harassment in the workplace and its effects. Sexual harassment is defined as the “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature”, most reports of sexual harassment are from women accusing men however men accusing women is becoming more prevalent in todays society (Shaw, p.444). Sexual harassment is a moral issues because a person becomes a victim by means of verbal comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature and not being able to refuse them without fear that something worse will happen.
Roberts, Barry S. and Richard A. Mann. ?Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: A Primer.? n.pag. On-line. Internet. 5 Dec 2000. Available WWW:
In an article by Lisa Mooney about tension in the workplace, Mooney explains that there are many signs of sexual harassment in a place of business such as, the language men use towards their female co-workers, by referring to them as “ladies, babes or gals”, refers to there being a gender bias in the environment. Also if a man makes lots of physical contact with a co-worker of the opposite sex, there is an underlying assumption that he wants to have sexual contact with that person. All of these things and more make for tension for everyone around and also start cases of sexual harassment. Another form of tension is the power struggle between a female with a higher position than another male co-worker. If that woman is a no nonsense type of boss, then she is labeled as an evil boss rather than her just doing her job. These are some of the reasons it’s hard for a women to have and keep a job in the corporate world and why women everyday are fighting for better rights not only in the everyday real world but also just in the
5. List the factors which contribute to a determination of whether behavior is sexual harassment.
Sexual Harassment is a prohibited conduct of inappropriate behavior in which an individual makes unwelcome sexual favors, requests, or any other form of verbal or physical acts in a sexual nature in which it creates a hostile environment to work in. any form of harassment that hinders or interferes with an employee’s work should be taken seriously and will not be tolerated.
Sexual harassment is so ordinary in the workforce that frequently we fail to even recognize harassing behavior as immoral. This is because so many of us--women and men alike--have become desensitized to offensive behaviors. Sexual harassment in any form is unacceptable behavior and should not be tolerated by anyone. It undermines our ability to study, to work, and to feel like effective, empowered people in the world.
Introduction 1 For years, females have been trying to crash through the glass ceiling and be equal to the opposite sex, males. When women are compared to men, they are recognized as being the weaker sex, consequently leading to women being portrayed as sex symbols in the media and incapable of accomplishing the things that are generally seen as a 'man's job.' Advancements have been made from history, now including women in all sorts of jobs, but what happens when a woman decides to go into a male-dominated job? A tremendous concern for women is the issue of sexual harassment in the
THESIS STATEMENT: In today’s society 40 percent of the nation’s 55 million working women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.
Each year many people first become aware of sexual harassment when they are harassed in the workplace. Today in the United States there still seems to be a need for general information about sexual harassment. Many people are unaware of exactly what sexual harassment is, how it affects its victims, where it happens, and what to do if it happens to them. There are many laws that protect people from sexual harassment and provide them with information about what to do if you should ever be in this situation (Wyatt, 2000).
Glazer, S. (1996, July 19). Crackdown on sexual harassment. CQ Researcher, 6, 625-648. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
This coincides with our basic human desire to conform to a certain extent to the laws that govern our society. In order to progress through gender equality society must weaken male- advantaged gender beliefs but not to the point that it becomes a male disadvantaged gender belief. The fact that sexual harassment policy education is becoming commonplace, through the threat to companies to comply with federal statute, forces each worker to bear in the forefront of their mind these gender beliefs and the repercussions of continuing sexual discrimination. However, this practice can also backfire and make female workers be perceived as inferior because they need legal protection through such policies. This can lead to frivolous cases of sexual harassment in almost any
Sexual Harassment/Assault is a growing issue in the U.S. In this paper I will highlight the meaning of sexual harassment, some of the signs, behavior theories, and concepts of being sexually harassed. The history of sexual harassment dates back to slave days when it didn’t really have a meaning or name but women activist were protesting against it. I will explore the statistics of sexual harassment and how it occurs more common in women. Also I will connect my personal experiences as a teenager dealing with my sister being sexually harassed at her first job. Research shows that women are more affected by being sexually harassed or abused especially when it happens at their job. They find it more difficult to carry on after they have been harassed and to move on comfortably. This issue usually has a more long term effect on women then it would have on men. Men are usually the ones who initiate any sexual act that’s going to take place. Therefore it’s more common to find that the men are harassing the women not saying it’s never vice versa but women are shown more in my research. My personal experiences aren’t exactly direct but it gave me a firsthand view on how this issue is sometimes hard to recognize but very prominent in society today. Studies show that being sexually harassed can effect and devastate your psychological health, physical well-being and vocational development. Therefore it’s better to be aware of the history, and behavioral concepts of this issue to avoid it from happening to you.
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.