Consequences Of Sexual Harassment In The Workplace

Sexual harassment in the workplace is an action that holds consequence for relationships, both directly and indirectly, affected by the act of the harassment. As illustrated by Dan Defoe, sexual harassment “harms the target of the mistreatment,” as well as “the non-targets who observe or perceive hostile behavior directed at coworkers.” When taking into consideration the scope of sexual harassment within an organization, upper management, Human Resources, and individual employees must be mindful of the overarching consequences associated with it. The act of sexual harassment has an effect on workplace relationships through the credibility of both parties involved, the community of the employee base, and the relationship between the company …show more content…
As many companies strive to create a friendly environment, this interwoven connection of employee and personal life can work as a catalyst to workplace gossip. With interaction of such harassment, employees can begin to speak regarding the matter with, or without, the victim involved. These topics of communication can begin to cause controversy amongst the employees, upper managements actions, and the steps the HR department is taking to handle the situation. With only 29% of victims reporting acts of sexual harassment, the process of defining those involved and intervening prior to public knowledge becomes nearly impossible (Vagianos). As stated above, when there is lack of trust between the employee base and both the harassed and the individual harassing, work amongst peers can become difficult and can tend to move slower than average. The act of workplace gossip, while it can be detrimental to personal relationships, can also lead to a deconstruction of the community within a company. As word of such actions spread around the company, individuals can begin to lose interest in continued employment. Friends and coworkers of those involved in the sexual harassment case may begin to develop a negative connection between the harassment and the morality of the company. This can often times lead to employees turning their back on the company and leaving if …show more content…
Although there is active precaution taken, several individuals still fall victim to workplace sexual harassment. The credibility of the employees, the company based community, and the company itself all fall victim to work based sexual harassment not only through lawsuit charges, but through detrimental activities such as gossip and lack of trust. Ultimately, it is up to the employee base, the management team, and the HR department to develop a program that takes ownership of its image and each component of the company maintains the highest morality