Sexual Harassment

Essay by itgoddessUniversity, Bachelor'sB, December 2008

download word file, 1 pages 0.0

Sexual Harassment is harassment or unwelcome attention of a sexual nature. It includes a range of behaviors from annoyance to serious abuse. The phrase ‘sexual harassment’ was coined in 1974 at Cornell University, but it became nationally known phrase during the United State Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Clarence Thomas when Anita Hill testified against him.

Sexual harassment is considered a form of illegal discrimination and is a form of abuse and bullying. Sexual harassment consists of two types. The first being Quip pro quo. This is when an employee submitting to unwelcome sexual advances. This also includes making an evaluative decision, or providing or withholding professional opportunities based on another employee's submission to verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. For example a supervisor promises an employee a raise if she will go out on a date with him, or tells an employee she will be fired if she doesn't sleep with him.

The other form of Sexual Harassment is a hostile work environment. This occurs when an employee is subjected to comments of a sexual nature, unwelcome physical contact, or offensive sexual materials as a regular part of the work environment. A single isolated incident will not be enough to prove hostile environment harassment unless it involves extremely outrageous and egregious conduct.

Harassment is not always clear and the two forms of harassment often occur together. For example, an employee's job conditions are affected when a sexually hostile work environment results in a constructive discharge. At the same time, a supervisor who makes sexual advances toward a subordinate employee may communicate an implicit threat to retaliate against her if she does not comply.

The Equal Opportunity Commission, or the EEOC, is a United States federal agency setup to end employment discrimination in the United States. The...