Harassment and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Definition: Sexual Harassment Sexual 

harassment occurs when one employee 

makes continued, unwelcome sexual 

advances, requests for sexual favors,

 and other verbal or physical conduct of 

a sexual nature, to another employee, 

against his or her wishes.

Examples of Sexual... Harassment

 Sexual harassment can occur in a

 variety of situations. These are 

examples of sexual harassment, not 

intended to be all inclusive. • Unwanted 

jokes, gestures, offensive words on

 clothing, and unwelcome comments and 

repartee. • Touching and any other 

bodily contact such as scratching or 

patting a coworker's back, grabbing an

 employee around the waist, or

 interfering with an employee's ability to

 

that are turned down or unwanted 

flirting. • Transmitting or posting emails 

or pictures of a sexual or other

 harassment-related nature. • Displaying 

sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or

 posters. • Playing sexually suggestive

 music. Sexual harrassment takes place 

under any of the following conditions:

• Sexual harassment unreasonably 

interferes with the victim's job 

performance, or creates an intimidating,

 offensive, abusive or hostile work 

environment for either the victim or 

witnesses. 

• Submission to sexual harassment is 

explicitly or implicitly a term or condition

 of the victim's employment.

of sexual harassment by the victim is 

the basis for employment decisions 

made by the employer that affect the 

victim. When an employee complains to 

a supervisor, another employee, or the 

Human Resources office, about sexual 

harassment, an immediate investigation 

of the charge should occur. 

Supervisors should immediately involve 

Human Resources staff. Employees need 

to understand that they have an 

obligation to report sexual harassment

 concerns to their supervisor or the 

Human Resources office. ........... 

As you think about sexual harass

ment and other forms of harassment in

 your work place, keep these facts in

 mind. 

• The employee harassing another

 employee can be an individual of the

 same sex. Sexual harassment does not

 imply that the perpetrator is of the 

opposite sex.

• The harasser can be the employee's 

supervisor, manager, customer,

 coworker, supplier, peer, or vendor. 

Any individual who is connected to the

 employee's work environment, can be

 accused of sexual harassment.

• The victim of sexual harassment is not 

just the employee who is the target of

 the harassment. Other employees who

 observe or learn about the sexual 

harassment can also be the victims and

 institute charges. Anyone who is 

affected by the conduct can potentially

 complain of sexual harassment. As an

 example, if a supervisor is engaged in a 

sexual relationship with a reporting staff 

member, other staff can claim

 harassment if they believe the

 supervisor treated his or her lover 

differently than they were treated. • In 

the organization's sexual harassment 

policy, advise the potential victims that,

 if they experience harassment, they 

should tell the perpetrator to stop, that

 the advances or other unwanted 

behaviors are unwelcome. .......... 

• Sexual harassment can occur even

 when the complainant cannot

 demonstrate any adverse affect on his

 or her employment including transfers,

 discharge, salary decreases, and so on.

• When an individual experiences sexual 

harassment, they should use the 

complaint system and recommended 

procedures as spelled out in the sexual 

harassment policy of their employer. The 

investigation should be conducted as 

spelled out in the handbook. • The 

employer has the responsibility to take 

each complaint of sexual harassment 

seriously and investigate.

• Following the investigation of the 

harassment complaint, no retaliation is

 permitted, regardless of the outcome of 

the investigation. The employer must, in

 no way, treat the employee who filed 

the complaint differently than other

 employees are treated nor change his 

or her prior-to-the-complaint treatment.

 If it is determined that the employee 

lied, disciplinary action is necessary,

 however. 

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