Sexual Harassment In The Workplace Essay

“In 2011, there were 11,364 complaints of sexual harassment made to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: 84 percent filed by women and 16 percent filed by men” (aauw.org). Sexual harassment in the workplace is very serious and is unacceptable at all places of employment throughout the US. Individuals should be able to show up to work without the fear of an individual sexually harassing them. “Sexual harassment of men does occur, though there is less information about the problem because men are less likely to report the behavior.” (workharassment.net). Aside from sexual harassment are workplace relationships. There are good workplace relationships, and there are bad workplace relationships. How can victims of sexual harassment in their workplace put a stop to the inappropriate behavior? What is classified as a good workplace relationship, and a bad one? In my paper I will discuss sexual harassment in the workplace, and what one can do when they feel they are being harassed. Also, I will discuss the good and the bad of workplace relationships.

Sexual Harassment in the workplace is defined as “offensive or pervasive conduct in the workplace related to a person’s sex that negatively affects a reasonable person’s employment.”(aauw.org) Sexual Harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it is a form of sex discrimination. According to aauw.org, Title VII is “a federal law that prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion, and it applies to employers with 15 or more employees, including federal, state, and local governments.” Victims of sexual harassment in the workplace may feel like there is nothing they can do about the situation....

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... workplace and can be a major cause of negative tension in the workplace. Sometimes friendships do not always work out in workplaces because of jealousy and hostility coworkers may feel towards one another.

In conclusion, if one is experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace they are never alone. There are many options they can take to feel comfortable at their job. Actions victims can take are speak up to the individual, make a complaint towards the individual, file a discrimination charges against the person, and sue for emotional or physical injures that one may suffer from. There are many benefits to workplace relationships such as greater teamwork, productivity, lower turnover rates, and higher employee retention rates. All problems within a workplace relationship should be left outside the organization to prevent tension among other staff members.