Sexual Harassment: A Slippery Slope In today’s society it seems the term “sexual harassment” has a new meaning than in years past, or maybe sexual harassment awareness is becoming more of a priority as lawsuits have increased two fold in the past thirty years. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title Vll of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Corporations, government agencies, and schools spend billions of dollars in training the workforce or population in fighting lawsuits, paying settlements, and making the workplace “harassment free” by implementing a zero-tolerance policy.
By definition, sexual harassment is: any unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and …show more content…
Companies taking immediate action and a zero-tolerance approach will send a message to offenders that the harassment will not be tolerated. On the other hand, companies that do not take action may be sending a message to employees that the behavior is not condoned, but the decision of no action was based on a very broad interpretation of “frequency or severity of the harassment.” This can have a serious affect on the victims, knowing that the complaints will fall on deaf ears, and most likely prevent victims from reporting the …show more content…
This can be achieved in several ways. Education, awareness, and training individuals how to prevent the behavior can be accomplished through work programs. Enforcing sexual harassment policies and punishing the harassers should be effective strategies in reducing the harassment. By not taking action only sends messages to offenders that they need not fear of being reprimanded. If one is being harassed, a simple, clear message to the offender may be all that is needed to ward off the behavior. Let the offender know that it is not acceptable behavior. Ask him/her to stop the behavior and be specific what behavior is bothering you. Tell your supervisor or human resources department. Keep a record of all incidents and read the company’s policies or employee
By definition, sexual harassment is: any unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and …show more content…
Companies taking immediate action and a zero-tolerance approach will send a message to offenders that the harassment will not be tolerated. On the other hand, companies that do not take action may be sending a message to employees that the behavior is not condoned, but the decision of no action was based on a very broad interpretation of “frequency or severity of the harassment.” This can have a serious affect on the victims, knowing that the complaints will fall on deaf ears, and most likely prevent victims from reporting the …show more content…
This can be achieved in several ways. Education, awareness, and training individuals how to prevent the behavior can be accomplished through work programs. Enforcing sexual harassment policies and punishing the harassers should be effective strategies in reducing the harassment. By not taking action only sends messages to offenders that they need not fear of being reprimanded. If one is being harassed, a simple, clear message to the offender may be all that is needed to ward off the behavior. Let the offender know that it is not acceptable behavior. Ask him/her to stop the behavior and be specific what behavior is bothering you. Tell your supervisor or human resources department. Keep a record of all incidents and read the company’s policies or employee