Effects of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual Harrassment

Effects Of Sexual Harrassment In The Workplace

The problems of sexual harassment cases are prevalent in almost all of the companies. In today's workplace, incidents of sexual harassment have become common. It is not unusual that a majority of companies in America are facing countless suits on sexual harassments. While many companies have addressed the problem of sexual harassment at the organizational level with policy statements and other memos, management has not paid the real attention on lowering the number of sexual harassment in the workplace. The main problem occurs, as it is not clear what is a right conduct and what is a wrong conduct in case of the sexual harassment situation.

DEVELOPMENT OF PARAGRAPHS

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes sexual harassment illegal, considering it to be a form of sexual discrimination. The statute, however, does not cover what kind of behavior constitutes sexual harassment. In layman's terms sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. There are usually two kinds of sexual harassments: Quid Pro Quo, and Hostile Environment

Quid Pro Quo means something for something. This occurs when critical decisions regarding employment, promotions, transfer, discipline, or termination are made on the basis of sexual conduct. This conduct is considered illegal and does not have to be apart of the job.

There are several effects of sexual harassment on workplace victims. First, sexual harassment is found to lower the morale of the employees as many people who observe sexual harassment from a superior employee either quit their jobs or remain silent because of being fired. Moreover, an organizational climate that does not provide enough encouragement and equality based on the employees' work rather makes sexual conduct as a criterion, employees feel threatened in producing their best results as they do not get rewards for their efforts.

A hostile environment is a workplace in which a woman is subjected to abusive and demeaning conduct that adversely affects her ability to perform her job. It can take many forms such as verbal abuse, discussing sexual activities, using offensive language, making sexual gestures or engaging in unnecessary touching. In this type of sexual harassment, an employee does not need to suffer a job or monetary loss.

There are several things that employers can do for anti-sexual harassment policy, complaint procedures and sensitivity training. These measures will ensure that all employees are entitled to work in an environment free of harassment. Employees should be allowed to lodge their complaints if they are faced with sexual harassment.

Employers should have anti-sexual harassment policy that can handle different sorts of allegation.

There are a number of factors that employers must consider when deciding whether and how to discipline employees. Some of these important factors that may complicate the enforcement of anti-sexual harassment policy is when the position of the alleged harasser is superior to the victims. To avoid this complication, companies should set higher-level of standards for employees at the higher echelons. On the other hands, employees who are in the same ranks should be dealt differently. For many employers, sensitivity training and/or counseling are the preferred remedial actions, although these are not usually adequate by themselves. Where problematic behavior exists, the corrective action must ordinarily include some form of discipline.

Victims of sexual harassment feel humiliated, ashamed, degraded, embarrassed, and angry. Sexual harassment impairs job performance, decreases job satisfaction, and causes headaches, nervousness, insomnia and anxiety attacks. In addition, when employees have to spend time and energy dealing with sexual harassment it takes time and energy away from the job. Sexual harassment often leads to absenteeism and high staff turnover.

CONCLUSION