SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment

Introduction

Sexual harassment is very complex and problematic for one out of two women at some point during their working lives (Gutek, 1985). There are many complexities of sexual harassment, that aid in understanding the issues and how it has developed. The roots of its existence and its various definitions, along with the cultural attitudes that exist in our society regarding roles, also help in building an understanding of its development. Creating awareness of what constitutes sexual harassment can be accomplished by looking into the history of roles in society and how they have evolved, along with defining and investigating the extent to which it is a problem with workplace productivity. A step by step analysis of what the person that is being sexually harassed can do to prevent and report incidents and if new preventative measures need to be added for what still is believed to be the remaining concern with sexual harassment. All of these factors will help employees define and understand sexual harassment in the workplace as well as promote the reporting of it.

Definition of Harassment

Every year, sexual harassment is experienced by many people that do nothing about reporting or resolving the problem. This can be an indication that they are unaware of their problem or that they are afraid of reporting the problem. Our justice system or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [EEOC] have tried to alleviate this growing problem in the workplace by reviewing the definition of what sexual harassment is in regard to the laws that can be confusing(Gutek, 1985). A clearer definition of sexual harassment is consistently being challenged and reviewed in literature, workplace policies, and procedures. Terpstra and Cook (1985) states that the definition must recognize that sexual harassment occurs between people who have unequal power and that the person with the lesser power is exploited. This clarifies that sexual harassment is separate from just sexual issues. Elaine Wagner (1992) agrees that sexual harassment frequently involves the exploitation of a power relationship and that it is a socio-culturally determined behavior. Miramontes (1983)also sees that an effective definition will acknowledge that the problem occurs within a social context. Some researchers describe sexual harassment as an abuse of power, a tactic to devalue women's role in the workplace (Wagner, 1992). Wisconsin Law states, 'Employers may not engage in, permit, or make submission to sexual harassment any part of the basis for employment decisions affecting employees, or permit harassment to substantially interfere with an individual's work performance or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment' (Gutek, 1985).

A broad definition that is accepted by everyone is in the guideline developed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC (1980) describes two forms of sexual harassment: Quid Pro Quo harassment, in which sexual conduct is made a condition of employment; and Hostile Work Environment harassment, in which sexual conduct unreasonably interferes with work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment (McShane, Glinow, 2000). Sexual harassment that is most familiar to the ...