Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Version 3

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Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Harassment,
Version 3
August 2001 Oracle Course Code SUPI235200
Version 3Training Credit One Hour
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Course Information
Developed by Lynne Presley from material
furnished by the FEMA Office of Equal Rights and
OP-110215, Rules Concerning the Individual
Conduct of Employees, and OP-110205, Employee
Grievance Resolution Procedures.
Course published August 2000. Version 2 of
course revised and published April 6,
2004. Version 3 of course revised and published
March 2, 2007.
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Course Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be
able to

• Understand the definition of sexual harassment as
  outlined in the EEOC guidelines
• Define the two types of sexual harassment
• Understand the steps for reporting sexual
  harassment
• Understand the joint responsibility of
  supervisors and employees when dealing with
  sexual harassment in the workplace

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Introduction
Employees of the Oklahoma Department of
Corrections are expected to discharge the duties
and responsibilities of their positions in a
manner which upholds the publics trust and
reflects the highest ethical standards. In
keeping with the above expectation of conduct, no
employee will permit or engage in any conduct
which constitutes, or is contributory to, sexual
harassment. The purpose of this course is to
increase awareness and identify measures that
will prevent sexual harassment issues and
complaints in the workplace.
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Sexual Harassment A Definition
Sexual harassment is defined by the EEOC as any
unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual
favors, and verbal, graphic or physical conduct
of a sexual nature when (see next slide)
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Sexual Harassment, Definition (continued)

• Submission to such conduct is made either
  explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of
  an individuals employment
• Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by
  an individual is used as the basis for employment
  decisions affecting such individual
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of
  unreasonably interfering with an individual's
  work performance or creating an intimidating,
  hostile or offensive working environment

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Legal Facts about Sexual Harassment

• Sexual harassment is a form of gender
  discrimination in violation of Title VII (Civil
  Rights Act of 1964)
• In 1980, the EEOC issued guidelines declaring
  sexual harassment to be an unlawful employment
  practice
• In 1986, the Supreme Court affirmed these
  guidelines

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Two Basic Types of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment generally falls into two basic
types
Quid Pro Quo
Hostile Work Environment
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Quid Pro Quo
Quid pro quo is a Latin phrase meaning something
for something. This occurs when demands are
made for sexual favors, and the refusal or
submission to these demands forms the basis for
employment decisions. Lets examine a quid
pro quo scenario. A female cadet on the
midnight shift is called into her supervisors
office. The supervisor tells the cadet that he
will give her weekends off and transfer her to
the day shift if she will have intimate relations
with him. He has offered her something (an
employment decision on the shift and days off she
is assigned) in exchange for something (sex).
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Hostile Work Environment
A hostile work environment is defined as any
sexual conduct that interferes with an
individuals work performance or creates an
offensive, intimidating work environment. This
includes inappropriate words, touching, gestures,
or the display of sexual items. Lets examine a
hostile work environment scenario. A supervisor
calls her male administrative assistant into her
office and asks his opinion of the new picture on
her bulletin board. (She has pinned a poster of
a nude man on her bulletin board.) The
administrative assistant feels extremely
uncomfortable and embarrassed by the nude
picture, and this causes his work performance to
degrade.
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Forms of Sexual Harassment
Weve learned that sexual harassment falls into
two basic types. Within those types, the method
of sexual harassment may take different forms
Physical Includes unwelcome touching, grabbing,
pinching, hugging, stroking, or blocking a
persons path
Verbal Includes requests or demands for sexual
favors, questions about sexual fantasies or
practices, sexual innuendoes or jokes, and
remarks of a sexual nature
Visual Includes leering, staring, looking a
person up and down, making obscene gestures, and
displaying sexually explicit pictures, objects
and cartoons
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Harassment Examples
Physical Includes unwelcome touching, grabbing,
pinching, hugging, stroking, or blocking a
persons path
Unwelcome touching is not acceptable in the
workplace!
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Harassment Examples II
Verbal Includes requests or demands for sexual
favors, questions about sexual fantasies or
practices, sexual innuendoes or jokes, and
remarks of a sexual nature
Sexual innuendoes and jokes are not acceptable in
the workplace!
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Harassment Examples III
Visual Includes leering, staring, looking a
person up and down, making obscene gestures, and
displaying sexually explicit pictures, objects
and cartoons
Displaying sexually explicit pictures is not
acceptable in the workplace. People who view the
pictures may be offended.
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Sexual Harassment Facts

• Sexual harassment can be blatant or very subtle
• Its frequently an inappropriate use or display
  of power, often intended to coerce, embarrass or
  degrade
• Anyone can harass, just as anyone can be a victim
  of harassment, regardless of their sex, age, or
  sexual orientation
• While sexual harassment has long been a problem
  for women, it is increasingly becoming a problem
  for men, too
• Everyone has the right to work in an environment
  free of sexual harassment
• Each of us (employees and supervisors) has the
  responsibility to help prevent sexual harassment
  in the workplace

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Zero Tolerance Policy
Our agency has a zero tolerance policy
regarding sexual harassment. This means that no
employee will permit or engage in any conduct
which constitutes, or is contributory to, sexual
harassment. The department and its
supervisors/managers will take immediate
corrective action, which may include a
disciplinary response, to any act which
constitutes sexual harassment.
Supervisors/managers who fail to respond
appropriately may be subject to a disciplinary
response.
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What to do if it happens to you
Employees must report any conduct which is
perceived to be harassment. Reports or
complaints of harassment under this procedure may
be made directly to the Employee Rights and
Relations Unit without submission through the
chain of command.   Any supervisor who receives a
complaint or who becomes aware of such conduct
will immediately refer the complaint for
investigation by the Employee Rights and
Relations Unit.
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Grievance Procedure
Point to Remember
Any employee who believes that he or she has been
the victim of unlawful sexual harassment may
complain of sexual harassment in accordance with
the agencys grievance procedure. Be prepared to
discuss details (who, what, when, where). Bring
notes if available.
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What Happens Next? (Cease and Desist Order)
Pending the completion of any sexual harassment
investigation or disciplinary response, the
facility/unit head will issue a Cease and
Desist order to any employee alleged to have
committed any act of harassment. The Cease and
Desist order will be placed in the supervisors
file pending substantiation of the allegations.
In the event the allegations are substantiated
and formal disciplinary action is issued, the
order will be placed in the employees personnel
file. If the allegations are not substantiated
or warrant informal discipline, the order will
remain in the supervisors file.
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What Happens Next? (Corrective Action)
The facility/unit head will take whatever
immediate corrective action is necessary to
reasonably ensure that such misconduct does not
re-occur. Corrective action may include, but is
not limited to

• Any disciplinary action, up to and including
  termination, that is appropriate for the severity
  of the misconduct. In some instances, the Cease
  and Desist order may be sufficient action.
• Training
• Transfer

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Prevention Techniques
To avoid being a sexual harasser . . .

• Conduct yourself in a businesslike and
  professional manner
• Act appropriately, being sure to avoid
  intimidating, ridiculing or embarrassing another
  person

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Self-Test Page 1
1. Sexual harassment, as defined by the EEOC,
may include
Physical conduct of a sexual nature
Verbal conduct of a sexual nature
Both A and B
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "C"
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Self-Test Page 2
2. A demand for submission to conduct of a
sexual nature may be either explicit or implicit.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "A"
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Self-Test Page 3
3. In what year did the EEOC issued guidelines
declaring sexual harassment to be an unlawful
employment practice?
1980
1985
1990
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "A"
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Self-Test Page 4
4. Sexual harassment generally falls into which
two basic types?
Verbal and graphic
Implicit and explicit
Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Work Environment
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "C"
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Self-Test Page 5
5. The display of a sexual item in the
workplace, such as an obscene photograph,
contributes to
A hostile work environment
A Quid Pro Quo situation
Both A and B
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "A"
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Self-Test Page 6
6. Verbal sexual harassment includes
Stroking a persons body
Questioning a person about her sexual fantasies
Making an obscene gesture
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "B"
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Self-Test Page 7
7. Sexual harassment can be either blatant or
subtle.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "A"
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Self-Test Page 8
8. As a rule, only young, attractive people are
victims of sexual harassment.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "B"
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Self-Test Page 9
9. Men can be victims of sexual harassment.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "A"
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Self-Test Page 10
10. Both employees and supervisors are
responsible for preventing sexual harassment in
the workplace.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "A"
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Self-Test Page 11
11. All sexual harassment complaints received by
a supervisor must first be reported by that
supervisor to the Oklahoma State Office of
Personnel Management.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "B"
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Self-Test Page 12
12. Sexual harassment complaints may not be made
through the agencys grievance procedure.
True
False
Click here for correct answer
The correct answer is "B"
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Exit
Thank you for taking this course.