Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

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Recommended: Sexual harassment within the workplace

The workplace is an environment where one should always feel safe. That sometimes is not the case. There has been a great increase in sexual harassment lawsuits and claims in the workplace since the Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas controversy in 1991. Sexual harassment is any unwanted and offensive sexual advances or sexually derogatory or discriminatory remarks.

The law currently recognizes two types of sexual harassment in the workplace. Quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment. "Hostile environment" involves making unwanted sexual advances or other verbal or physical contact with the goal of reasonably obstructing an individuals work performance or alternatively effectuating and intimidating, hostile or formidable working environment (Sexual Harassment, 2014). "Quid pro quo" harassment involves harassment from supervisors and occurs when bosses use their authority to coerce employees, either with threats or rewards into having a sexual relationship. Non-supervisors, by the definition, cannot engage in quid pro quo harassment. In this paper I intend to explain both types of harassment that take place in the workplace. I will also focus on different ways that an employer (manager, supervisor) can do to prevent sexual harassment claims.

If your firm is sued for sexual harassment, you will not recover legal costs, the cost to your reputation or the extensive time required to prepare for trial, even if you win the case. Thus, it's far better to take steps to prevent sexual harassment and minimize your liability if such a claim should arise (National Women's Law Center, 2015).

Hostile Environment Harassment

The first form of sexual harassment falls under the ?hostile environment category?. Thi...

... middle of paper ...

...e Huffington Post (February 19, 2015) the number of sexual harassment cases filed with the EEOC in 2014 was 26,027(Vagianos, 2015). Employers need to always take all precautions to prevent a lawsuit . They need to make sure that they have visible standards about harassment polices so all employees can understand what sexual harassment is.

Bibliography

"Sexual Harassment" The EEOC. 2014. Web. 2 June 2015.

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm

"Sexual Harassment in the Workplace" National Women's Law Center, 2015. Web. 2 June 2015.

http://www.nwlc.org/our-issues/employment/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace

Vagianos, Alanna. "1 In 3 Women Has Been Sexually Harassed At Work" The Huffington Post. Feb. 19, 2015. Web. 7 June 2015.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/19/1-in-3-women-sexually-harassed-work-cosmopolitan_n_6713814.html

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