Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay Example

Sexual harassment in the workplace is inappropriate behavior that has been overlooked and is more common than most people realize. Sexual harassment no matter which way you look at it still means any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct that has been made no matter of your religion, person race, sex, or color. More people than you would realize are not aware of this type of sexual harassment in the workplace until it happens to them or someone they know. These are two types of sexual harassment in the workplace and both of these are illegal under the civil rights act of 1964. Both of these no matter how you look at them cause a hostile work environment and equally could cause harm to the workplace. 

According to Editorial Staff Teecycle, it is possible to be asked for sexual favors when working for someone in a position of power in exchange for promotions, or in some cases, maintaining a job. This is known as “Quid Pro Quo Harassment.” Sexual harassment is sexual harassment regardless of how hostile the environment is. The Latin definition of this piece is “an eye for an eye” which indicates what exactly this means. Someone might make sexual comments to you, such as a coworker or someone in a higher position, and their words and behavior might make others perceive the work environment as hostile or threatening. 

According to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is prohibited for sexual harassment to be in the workplace. Any state or local government job and workplace that has more than 15 employees working for them fall under the legislation. These statistics came from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), also called Title VII (of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The employer cannot retaliate against you if an employee files a sexual harassment claim at your workplace. If the employee is covered by the Civil Rights Act, even if the employee has not been excused from the sexual harassment. Sexual harassment must be prevented, and should it occur, corrected, by your employers. Unless your firm has more than 15 employees, you are not protected against workplace sexual harassment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A business, no matter the size, should educate employees about sexual harassment and provide sexual harassment training. 67 percent do not, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). You will still have to deal with sexual harassment no matter what your company's size is. Nevertheless, there are not enough resources to cover the costs, so the company and its employees are vulnerable. Sexual harassment does not only affect coworkers, bosses, or vendors; anyone can be harassed.

A new regulation published by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) applies to all businesses in the United States. This regulation must be enforced consistently and proactively. Thirty percent of all professionals have been subjected to sexual harassment at some point during their careers. However, sexual harassment is a multifaceted problem, and many individuals are unaware that it comes in many different forms. Sexual harassment of any kind is unacceptable regardless of who you are, whether it's verbal, physical, or visual. Owners of small businesses need to make sure their employees know harassment will not be tolerated and stringent disciplinary measures will be taken if unwanted behavior is observed.

When someone is employed, they should be given a handbook that contains all of the company's policies. A few times a year, the firm should provide a training for everyone on the positive and negative aspects of the company at the moment, and when it comes to sexual harassment, everyone should know where to go and meet the devoted person(s) who will evaluate any complaints. If you are the victim, the best method to deal with your harasser is to express your dissatisfaction with their words or behavior. If it does not cease, follow the company's rules and document everything they say or do. It is the responsibility of all employers no matter how big or small the company is to have a policy handbook, and in this handbook should have all the information on what is expected in their workplace and what is to be expected in their workplace and clearly stated policies and procedures on any type of harassment. It is also the responsibility to train all employees on discrimination and harassment. Small businesses usually don't have the staff to educate and train employees about sexual harassment so this makes it hard to settle a sexual harassment complaint. Small businesses should realize they need to take action and prevent aby sexual harassment to avoid any extra expense to the company. By taking appropriate steps to stop sexual harassment claim the employer has less chance of being a lawsuit involved. 

If you are being sexually harassed at your workplace you should do the following, if you feel no threat tell the harasser their behavior towards you is inappropriate and they need to stop. Every time no matter the harassment is made, you need to write down every detail, date, time, harasser's name, where it happened, what was said or what actions were made, and were there any witnesses. Always have an extra copy with that information somewhere outside of the workplace. Make sure you read your employer's policy on sexual harassment and follow the procedure. If there aren't any policies, report the harassment to human resources or a supervisor your trust would help. 

As you can see in this image, there are several types of sexual harassment to be aware of.  The image labels the 4 types of sexual harassment and states what behaviors are included in each type.

In conclusion, Unfortunately sexual harassment is something that still goes on in the workplace, even though there are laws prohibiting it.   More employers need to make it known that sexual harassment to co-workers is not permitted and there will be consequences for their actions.  There are many solutions to solve it but unfortunately many companies do not like the solutions.  This makes it hard for some people to come forward and name their harasser.  This is something that workplaces need to work on so people feel safe at their place of employment.