Sexual harassment affects each one of us at the workplace, when it occurs. It could potentially lead to serious health and mental problems such as depressions, PTSD, even suicide! It affects the victims professionally, academically, financially and socially. Even organizations suffer from low productivity, loss of staff, driving a person away from work and legal costs if the matter is taken into court. Cruel sexual harassment can have the same psychological effect as rape or sexual physical attack.
Sexual harassment refers to unwanted sexual advances, requests or favors. It can happen to anyone, anywhere. Sexual harassment; found primarily in the workplace shows that 43% of women have been sexually harassed in their workplace or at a work
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function as well as 16.4% of men. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission two types of sexual harassment claims can be filed; “Quid Pro Quo” and “Hostile Work Environment”. Quid Pro Quo refers to “this for that” (e.g., pay raise, promotion) or to prevent some somewhat of punishment (e.g., termination, demotion) in the workplace. Quid Pro Quo is usually done by a person at a position of power (e.g., manager, supervisor). Whereas Hostile Work Environment occurs when verbal abuse or conduct is so severe and pervasive that it creates an environment full of fear, negativity and intimidation, it can get to the point of affecting the person’s job performance. A recent federal study indicates that sexual harassment is pervasive, especially amongst coworkers that only 6% of the people who experience sexual harassment file a formal complaint (Lehman, 2008).
The first incident of sexual harassment in the workplace was allegedly in Mumbai, India. Where at a rally about women dealing with oppression it was brought to public attention that women-nurses, air hostesses, and PhD scholars were facing sexual harassment at work. Harassment has tormented the world for centuries. Why should the workplace be any different? Sexual harassment seems to be an issue that still occurs in the workforce today. Managers are addressing and combating modern sexual harassment and workplace violence, however instances still …show more content…
occur. Sexually harassing a person is an unlawful behavior no matter where it is done. It violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; which is a federal law that stops discrimination in the workplace based on sex, race, religion…etc. However not everybody is protected by Title VII, in almost all states being an unpaid intern that is being sexual harassed at work is not protected by the law. Since the person is not technically an “employee” under the federal Civil Rights Act which also means that the person is not protected by bodies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. If an unpaid intern filled a complaint for sexual harassment, he or she could face retaliation. New York, Oregon and California are the only states that have passed the legislation that protects unpaid workers from sexual harassment and discrimination. Massachusetts has yet to pass this legislation. While Maryland protects unpaid workers from discrimination, Illinois protects unpaid workers from sexual harassment. Legislators in Michigan and New Jersey have also attempted to pass anti-discrimination and harassment laws, though they have not yet succeeded. Although women usually form big part of victims from sexual harassment in the workplace, it does not mean that men do not get sexually harassed. Sexual harassment cases filed by men made up 16.4 percent of the 11,717 sexual harassment charges in fiscal year 2010, compared to about 8 percent in 1990, according to the EEOC (DiGiacomo, 2015). Since men are often seen as the tough sex, many have a difficult time when it comes to dealing with a harasser “When a guy finds himself in such situation, it becomes very hard to speak up, almost embarrassing, that’s why many guys prefer to move on, give in or forget about it rather than file a complaint” (King, 2015). Even though sexual harassment attract serious legal procedures when taken to court whether it involves women or men, usually sexual harassment towards men are not taken that seriously. Many large scale studies have been done on regards of sexual harassment in the workplace affecting women not only emotionally but also their job performance, but very few research studies have been done regarding sexual harassment affecting men, at all. Some companies stick to the traditional gender roles which includes men being to act as masculine as possible. Anything that deviates from these gender roles could get a men, usually, harassed. As an example since women are often seen as the caregiver, if a man takes time off to care for his children he many experience harassment in the workplace as an outcome. Many men may find their careers affected if they dare to deviate from traditional gender roles. Also, men who openly support feminist causes or who are seen as "un-masculine" may get harassed as well (Vitelli, 2011). Sexual harassment could be prevented in many ways starting by placing sexual harassment policy in employees handbooks if not listed already, as well as providing workshops for managers, so they know all the procedures he or she should take in case someone gets sexually harassed by a coworker and also providing training for employees is an important step, so they know what to do and how to defend themselves if necessary, if the situation occurs. Handling sexual harassment complaint carefully and privately also is very important, many victims are already embarrassed with the situation as it is the least they need is a scandal about it. Organizations should establish an employment policy that ensures a well-planned career path based on merit to lower the vulnerability of people by those who overuse their authority and power. Awareness should be raised among staff, regarding to sexual harassment and about the consequences they may face if they engage in such an act. Employers should be aware of the social responsibilities to avoid such incident in their organization. Jessica Wright insists people “to love themselves and to have the courage to stand up against adversity” (Wright, 2015). The widespread use of social media technologies for person and professional use has formed a new realm of legal and ethical implications concerning romance and sexual harassment policies in today’s workplace. Co-workers are “friending” each other on Facebook, “following” each other on Twitter and “connecting” as colleges on LinkedIn. Social media carries numerous risks associated with personal and professional privacy and intimacy. For example a harmless and innocent photos from a vacation posted on social media of oneself might draw unwanted attention from a coworker, text messaging can be misleading and mistrusted. If a coworker complements an employee’s dress while at work, that employee can easily read the body language and politely say “thanks”, whereas if an employee receives a late night text from a coworker’s personal account or number about how good that person looked on a dress, takes on much more risky tone even if that is not the intention. Many companies prohibit employees to date another coworker within the company or the department and while romance for romance’s sake generally can be considered a good thing, relationships that go south especially if it was not a mutual break up, could present a conflict. When romance in the workplace occurs, it can quickly become sexual harassment which leads to legal oversight and human resource policy formulation, this is why many companies just prefer to ban love relationships among staff members. Some states require certain employers to conduct sexual harassment training. For example, Wisconsin advises employers to “provide training to sensitize employees on the issue of harassment and periodically remind them of your strong desire to maintain a harassment free workplace.” Even if a state doesn't require or suggest training, it's still a good idea, managers will know what the law is and what to do when employees complain, and, if people find themselves in a lawsuit, they'll be able to show that they took steps to try to prevent harassment. Overall, 64 percent of people see sexual harassment as a problem in the United States, arising to 88 percent of women who have been harassed. Nevertheless, the overall number is far below its peak, 85 percent, in late 1992. New options for women who have been sexually harassed can be found available such as telecommuting which consists of a program where people can work from home and not necessarily be present at workplace. Education and training of workers and sensitizing on their rights as well as the course of action that they need to take when faced with sexual harassment and lastly, there should be clear paths for career development and advancement for those vulnerable to sexual harassment. In conclusion, there are several ethical issues that arise in business and industries.
It calls for every person to counter these perceived vices in society. Thus, matters of inclusion and personal intuition are very paramount to be alive in a world which is more ethical. Sexual harassment in the workplace presents an ongoing and growing risk to businesses operating in the United States. Today, the time is right for businesses to begin to manage their risk in this area more wisely. Preventing sexual harassment in the workplace requires a considerable investment of time and personnel. In the end, however, these costs will be offset by significant savings in legal fees and health-care costs. Companies will also benefit from increased worker productivity. From a purely business perspective, a company only stands to gain if it takes a no-nonsense, hardline position on sexual harassment. Not only is it the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to
do.
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:
According to legal dictionary (2013), sexual harassment refers to any form of unwelcome sexual behavior or advances, appeals for sexual errands, and other form of physical or verbal conduct or behavior that portrays sex nature and tends to make the working environment offensive or hostile. Any behavior or remarks that take such forms constitute sexual harassment when: Compliance to such conduct happens either implicitly or explicitly based on employment of an individual, rejection or compliance to such conduct is used to make decisions during employment and when such conduct interferes or affects performance of a person at the workplace. Sexual harassment ta...
Acts of sexual harassment against another individual have sadly become a common incidence in the workplace. It can be either physical or verbal. In 2008 the Association of Women for Action and Research conducted a survey addressing the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. The study, which included 500 respondents and 92 companies, showed that 79% of the victims are women and 21% were men; 54% had experienced some form of workplace sexual harassment, 27% experienced harassment by their colleague, while, 17% were harassed by their superior. The study also showed that 12% had received threats of termination if they did no comply with the requests of the sexual harassers ("Statistics | AWARE | Workplace Sexual Harassment", n.d.).
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
Sexual Harassment is unwanted sexual harassment by someone at work, be it a boss or another employee, this is what I have always thought how sexual harassment in the workplace was defined. It is so much more. Sexual harassment is now defined as telling someone they look nice, yes that is sexual harassment today. Telling someone they smell good, yes that is sexual harassment today. There are so many issues that can be considered sexual harassment that there are too many to name them all in this one research paper. You cannot pick up a newspaper or turn on the news without hearing about the latest sexual harassment case. This happens everywhere, big companies, small companies, movie stars, schools, restaurants, warehouses, bus drivers, all industries, no place is immune. . Human resource departments have to stay current on all examples of sexual harassment; they must keep current with all the legalities involved in educating staff and pursuing sexual harassment cases in the workplace.
According to Webster’s online dictionary, it is believed that the phrase “sexual harassment” was coined at Cornell University in 1974 ("Sexual harassment," 2011). The phrase wasn’t, however, really used in common language until the testimony of Anita Hill against Clarence Thomas in 1991. Sexual harassment can take many different shapes and forms. According to a Fox News article, the sexual harassment claims made by men have increased twofold in the last twenty years ("Sexual harassment claims," 2010). Because sexual harassment is illegal both on a federal and state level in many states, there are steps that an individual and employer should take to prevent 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.
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).
KANE-URRABAZO, C. (2007). Sexual harassment in the workplace: it is your problem. Journal Of Nursing Management, 15(6), 608-613. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2007.00725.x
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 affect 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 is a growing problem in today's workplace. The signs and causes of harassment are not always easy to detect.
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.
... named in the1970s, workplace sexual harassment has increasingly been the subject of legal measures, awareness campaigns and workplace policies in countries across the world. Through these initiatives, a broad consensus around how this kind of treatment should be defined has been developed: it is usually identified as sex-based or sexual behavior unwelcome to its recipient. The research conducted on its extent and dynamics has confirmed that workplace sexual harassment, although it has male victims, is overwhelmingly directed at women. Moreover, it appears to be more often encountered by those who are in a less-powerful labor market position, including young workers, domestic workers, women in non-traditional jobs, migrant workers and women in the informal sector. It is also apparent that sexual harassment imposes heavy costs on both its victims and their employers.