Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment in the work place forms an atmosphere that degrades people and has a depressing influence on individual functioning and efficiency as well as organizational efficiency and unit morale. There is much mystification as to what accurately represents sexual harassment and about modalities suitable for dealing with the problem, as sympathy to this complex problem has been heightened of late. It is obligatory on the part of the employers, organizations, and institutions to speak for all their people, male and female, and give instruction and help to ease the abolition of this vicious deed. The workplaces must be conscious of the occurrence of the problem and must have action plans. (Committee on Pediatric Workforce -- Subcommittee on Women in Pediatrics, p. 1498)

In the present days' society, sexual harassment continued to be a persistent problem. Sexual harassment in offices and also in educational environment makes an atmosphere, which degrades individuals and puts a depressing influence on personal actions and efficiencies and output of the organization and self-esteem of the establishment as well. The impact of harassment at the place of work might comprise increased intensities of suffering, weakened capability to arrive at conclusions and lower levels of attentiveness, diminishing self-assurance and self-respect and experiencing social segregation at work, dreadful attacks, nervous ailments, gloominess, social fears and worsening of links with family and acquaintances; lessened productivity and achievement, inability to work, job loss, trouble in getting sleep, or extreme fatigue. Although the problem is serious, there is no commonly agreed definition for harassment. This is mainly difficult in cases in which the behavior is vague and open to explanation. For instance, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission - EEOC gives a meaning that provides itself to different explanations. (Golden; Johnson; Lopez, p. 58)

Unwanted approaches, desires for sexual favoritism, and other oral and physical behavior of a sexual nature form sexual harassment when: compliance to such behavior is done plainly or completely a term or state of an individual's service; compliance to or refusal of such behavior by individual is used as a source for employment decisions distressing such individuals; or such behavior has the intention or result of considerably meddling with an individual's work performance or making an threatening, aggressive, or unpleasant work atmosphere, is the definition of sexual harassment as given by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Thus, there are two common features of sexual harassment. The first feature is the quid-pro-quo or 'this for that' condition, where compliance to undesired sexual behavior becomes a clause for employment or personnel action. The second part is the formation of an unfriendly atmosphere. Sexual harassment is neither of a particular gender, nor is it always straightforward. But it is found all through the whole office and is inclusive of health care people. (Committee on Pediatric Workforce -- Subcommittee on Women in Pediatrics, p. 1498)

To find out if a particular behavior represents harassment, many factors are taken into account, like: whether the behavior was undesirable, unwelcome, or unpleasant; whether the behavior was frequent, mainly if it was repetitive in spite of a caution that it was unwanted or unpleasant; whether the behavior involved a supervisor-subordinate relationship in which one person had authority over another; the matter and sternness of the behavior: oral, bodily, aggressive, troublesome, constant, pervasive, or irritating; whether privileged handling of persons in the workplace, based on their sexual behavior, had a pessimistic impact on others in the working environment; whether a sensible person would be considerably unenthusiastically distressed by similar situations. Even very sensible people continue to be perplexed and worried about what really represents sexual harassment, in spite of all the law, literature, and discussion on this matter. (Committee on Pediatric Workforce -- Subcommittee on Women in Pediatrics, p. 1498)

Some outrageous actions are undoubtedly approved to symbolize sexual harassment. Using ones' rank of power by giving rewards or warning to affect another person's profession based on sexual favoritism, rape or impolite attack is considered to be clearly representing annoyance. At the other end of the scale, most people have the same opinion that it is satisfactory behavior for a person to courteously praise someone's looks. But, recurring undesirable desires, glancing, signaling, or abusing, sexually oriented remarks all represent sexual annoyance. Generally, though consensual sexual relationship with no compulsion does not come within the rubric of sexual annoyance, they may however still be unsuitable in the workplace as, for example, when a supervisor-subordinate relationship continues. Hence it is essential for an organization to speak about the norms of behavior that are wider in range than sexual harassment or sexual annoyance. (Committee on Pediatric Workforce -- Subcommittee on Women in Pediatrics, p. 1498)

The idea that what represents an unfriendly atmosphere is always vague. Does it contain sexually oriented pictures, movies, charts, jokes of a sexually clear nature, or obscene or sexually infuriating remarks? While touching is regarded to be sexual in some cases, it is not so in others. Common sense should succeed. In the workplace, these actions symbolize sexual harassment, mainly if unwanted or unpleasant to people. Though it is not purposely seen as sexual harassment in that situation, they may however still be an unsuitable conduct for the workplace. Identifying that the types of actions mentioned above have a broad range of scope, that there are many variables, and that there is a large 'gray area' in which even sensible people may not concur on whether these actions represent sexual harassment, it is essential to give sensible assistance as a form of 'defensive medicine'. (Committee on Pediatric Workforce -- Subcommittee on Women in Pediatrics, p. 1498)

To resolve the problem of sexual annoyance in workplaces an action plan could be developed, which involves the following: Build up a printed policy which forbids sexual annoyance in discussion with employees and related unions; frequently circulate and encourage the policy at all stages of the organization; decode the policy into related community languages where necessary so it is reachable to employees from non-English speaking settings; make sure that the policy is available to staff members with a disability; make sure that managers and supervisors converse and strengthen the policy at staff gatherings. In workplaces where the education of the staff is a problem, oral announcement of the policy is mainly essential; the policy and other related details on sexual annoyance must be given to the new employees as a standard practice of introduction; the policies must be frequently examined to make sure that it is working efficiently and has up-to-date information; Exhibit anti-sexual harassment placards on notice boards in general work areas and hand out applicable leaflets; Educate all line managers on their responsibility in guaranteeing that the workplace is devoid of sexual harassment; Carry out frequent alertness raising sessions for all staff on sexual harassment issues. Incorporate liability mechanisms in position descriptions for managers; Make certain that selection criteria for management positions comprise the condition that managers have an established comprehension of and capability to manage discrimination and harassment issues as part of their complete responsibility for human resources; Verify that managers are meeting their chores through performance assessment systems; and lastly to form an optimistic workplace atmosphere. (Preventing Sexual Harassment: All Reasonable Steps)