Sexual Harassment

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Sexual Harassment
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Discrimination

• Can be applied to various employment issues,
  including sex, sexual orientation, religion or
  belief, race, disability, pay, part-time or
  full-time, etc.
• All employers have a moral and legal duty to
  ensure that there is no discrimination in their
  work place.

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Sexual Harassment

• Harassment of a sexual nature
• Usually in the workplace
• Any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the
  job, that makes the environment intimidating,
  hostile or offensive. Regarded by some as a mild
  form of sexual and psychological abuse.

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Sexual Harassment

• Severe and/or chronic sexual harassment may have
  the same psychological effect on victims as rape
  or sexual assault.
• Confronting the harasser can often lead to
  further problems for the victim, as the harasser
  is often in a position of being a superior of the
  victim.

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Sexual Harassment Defined

• Unwanted touching
• Lewd comments
• Talk about gender superiority
• Sexual jokes
• Demands for sexual favors
• Suggestive Screen Savers
• Offensive posters

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Sexual Harassment

• Sexual advances, sexual favors, verbal
  statements, or physical conduct of a sexual
  nature that when submitted to or when rejected
  explicitly or implicitly affect an individuals
  employment
• Employment is effected if the actions create
  worker interference, impact work performance, or
  create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work
  setting.

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Sexual Harassment is Illegal

• It is a violation of Title VII of the Civil
  Rights Act of 1964

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Sexual Harassment

• There are many settings for sexual harassment to
  occur
• Harasser may be a man
• Harasser may be a woman
• Harasser may be of the same sex

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Harassers

• Often they are supervisors
• They can be co-workers
• They can be agents of the employer
• They can be non-employees

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Harassment

• May exist even when the victim is someone other
  than the intended target
• There does not need to be any economic loss for
  the victim for harassment to exist (its the
  environment where the harassers conduct is
  unwelcome)

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What if a Woman is Flattered by the Attention of
a Man?

• Can there still be sexual harassment?

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What is Street Harassment?

• The same as in the work place
• Only real difference, no laws to protect the
  victims

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Avoid Sexual Harassment

• Follow some basic steps

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1. Assess current practices

• Evaluate recruitment practices
• How are the pay scales for employees?
• Are all workers treated with respect?
• Evaluate the opportunities for promotion

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2. Legislation

• Know the particulars of Title VII of the Civil
  Rights Act of 1964
• Other laws

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3. Policies and Procedures

• Clear policy on harassment
• Set a clear standard of acceptable behavior
• Make reference to the LAW
• Devise grievance procedures
• Who to bring grievance to
• Grievance should be in writing
• Hold a meeting with the employee
• Inform the employee of the action to be taken
• Spell out the appeal procedures

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4. Recruitment Procedures

• Job Descriptions are not to discriminate in any
  way
• Advertising dont make reference to gender in
  the ad
• Questions during the interviews should be the
  same for men and women

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5. Work Environment

• Look at salary structure
• Look at how raises are awarded
• Review the evaluation process
• Dress code must be consistent (not too
  restrictive)
• All employees must be treated with dignity

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What if you are harasses?

• Tell the harasser to stop (this usually ends it)
• This puts the harasser on notice
• If the harassment continues, tell a supervisor
• If still unsuccessful, go higher in the firm
• Document every step

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• Take copious notes
• Write down quotes
• Take photographs
• Keep a journal
• Get copies of evaluations

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• Submit the complaint to the US Equal Employment
  Opportunity Commission
• File a lawsuit

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Do the Right Thing
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