Sexual Harassment

1
Sexual Harassment

• Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual
  favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a
  sexual nature when submission to, or rejection
  of, this conduct affects an individual's
  employment, unreasonably interferes with an
  individual's work performance, or creates an
  intimidating, hostile, or offensive work
  environment
• This includes practices ranging from direct
  requests for sexual favors to workplace
  conditions that create a hostile environment for
  persons of either gender -- including same sex
  harassment.

2
Sexual Harassment

• The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman
  or a man. The victim does not have to be of the
  opposite sex.
• The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an
  agent of the employer, a supervisor in another
  area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
• The victim does not have to be the person
  harassed but could be anyone affected by the
  offensive conduct.
• Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without
  economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
• The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.

3
Types of Sexual Harassment

• Quid pro quo
• Hostile environment

4
Statistics on Sexual Harassment

• Legal fees for defending a civil case in court
  average about 250,000.
• Judgments in sexual harassment cases routinely
  exceed 1 million.
• The U.S. Department of Labor has estimated that
  American business loses about 1 billion annually
  in absenteeism, low morale and new employee
  training and replacement costs as a result of
  sexual harassment. This figure does not include
  judgments in civil court cases.

5
Workplace Statistics

• A telephone poll conducted by Louis Harris and
  Associates found that of the 782 workers polled
• 31 female workers claimed to have been harassed
  at work
• 7 male workers claimed to have been harassed at
  work
• 62 of targets took no action

6
Workplace Statistics

• Of the women who had been harassed
• 43 harassed by supervisor
• 27 by an employee senior to them
• 19 by a coworker at their level
• 8 by a junior employee

7
Workplace Statistics

• Of the women who claimed they had been harassed
• 100 of women harasser was a man
• 59 of men harasser was a woman
• 41 of men harasser was another man

8
Sexual Harassment Policy

• Establish a policy against sexual harassment.
• Post and distribute a clearly written sexual
  harassment policy.
• Institute a grievance procedure.
• Conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of
  all claims.

9
Sexual Harassment Policy

• Treat all claims of sexual harassment
  consistently and equally.
• Provide for quick and effective remedial action.
• Provide for periodic review by your employees.