Sexual harrasment in the work place

Sexual advances made out of sight can occur anywhere in a work place; in the elevators, corridors and stairways, but especially after hours when most employees have left. Open sexual harassment involves asking a person for a date and offering them the reward of more flexible working hours, better promotion, holiday or other inducements, openly grabbing at a woman’s breasts or between her legs, stroking her thighs or trying to corner her for a kiss (Read 13). It is apparent that sexual harassment may take many forms including but not limited to being eyed up and down, suggestive looks at parts of the body, regular sexual remarks or jokes, cheek kissing on meeting or parting, being asked out on dates despite refusals, touching or patting, pinching or grabbing, direct sexual proposition and forcible sexual aggression.

I work for the United States Navy and the military has a very strict policy on sexual harassment in the work place. Two years ago more than twenty employees were reprimanded or discharged for passing around obscene pictures via e-mail in the work place. This was not sexual harassment, but the military has very strict policies on both sexual harassment and pornography, zero tolerance. A work place conduct reminder of the U.S. Navy employees states, “The Navy is committed to providing a work place where our people can grow and succeed. In this regard, it is the Navy’s policy to insure a work place free from harassment or discrimination. We will not tolerate any behavior, which discriminates against or disparages a person on account of his or her race, religion, sex, national origin, and age or disability status. Harassing comments, inappropriate gestures and jokes, abusive language, insensitive stereotyping in written or verbal communications of any sort have no place in the military and may be grounds for reprimand and/or discharge. Furthermore, the Navy is committed to providing a work environment free from sexual harassment. We will not tolerate unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of an offensive nature where:

On the other hand, a hostile environment is created when an employee is subjected sexually suggestive comments or conditions that are severe enough to alter the employee’s conditions of employment. Achampong defines it as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature…when…such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment” (39). As we can see, this form of harassment is theoretically different from Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment in the sense that Quid Pro Quo sexual harassment involves tangible job detriment or economic loss, whereas hostile sexual harassment does not. Instead it is the work environment that becomes intimidating, offensive, or hostile because of unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature, or the victim’s work performance that is unreasonable affected because of the behavior.

Ever since sexual harassment received attention, there is often very little understanding and confusion among employers and employees of what constitutes sexual harassment in the work setting. People sometimes commit acts, which may be construed as sexual harassment without even being aware of it and employers faced with such instances of sexual harassment often are not prepared to deal with such situations. The term sexual harassment was coined in American in the early 1970s to describe unwanted sexual attention. According to Sue Read, this was simply formal recognition of a factor so all pervading in social life that it has been taken entirely for granted since time immemorial (9). Specifically defined, sexual harassment at work means sexual attentions that are unwanted, repeated and affect an individual’s job, either his or her perform

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