INTRODUCTION OF SEXUAL HARRESMENT

Sexual harassment is bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate

promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In most modern legal contexts, sexual
harassment is illegal. As defined by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC), "It is unlawful to harass a person an applicant or employee because of that person's
sex." Harassment can include "sexual harassment" or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. The legal definition of
sexual harassment varies by jurisdiction. Sexual harassment is subject to a directive in the
European Union.
Where laws surrounding sexual harassment exist, they generally do not prohibit simple teasing,
offhand comments, or minor isolated inciden. In the workplace, harassment may be considered
illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or
when it results in an adverse employment decision such as the victim being fired or demoted, or
when the victim decides to quit the job. The legal and social understanding of sexual harassment,
however, varies by culture.
In the context of US employment, the harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in
another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client
or customer, and harassers or victims can be of any sex or gender.
It includes a range of actions from mild transgressions to sexual abuse or sexual assault. Sexual
harassment is a form of illegal employment discrimination in many countries, and is a form of
abuse sexual and psychological and bullying. For many businesses or organizations, preventing
sexual harassment, and defending employees from sexual harassment charges, have become key
goals of legal decision-making.

TYPES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

There are two types of sexual harassment that are legally recognized:
1. Quid pro quo sexual harassment
Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when an employee gets on the promotion track or even
gets to keep his/her job is based on if the employee submitted to or rejected sexual advances or
other types of inappropriate sexual comments. For example, if a supervisor were to tell an
employee she would be more likely to be promoted if she dressed sexier, that would be
considered quid pro quo sexual harassment.
2. Hostile environment sexual harassment
This type of sexual harassment occurs when a co-worker or supervisor in the workplace makes
sexual advances or comments to an employee that, while not affecting promotions or the future
of the employee's job, makes the working environment of the employee offensive and hostile. In
general, the comments tend to affect the employee's ability to do her job. Some instances of
hostile environment sexual harassment can be:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

Personal questions of a sexual nature

Vulgarities and other offensive language
Physical conduct that is sexual or degrading to any reasonable person
Any sexually explicit or offensive pictures or literature that is in plain site of other
employees

If the employer was aware, or should have been aware, of the sexual harassment and did not take
action to discipline the offender and correct the situation, the employer can be liable as well as
the offender.

CAUSES
There are many causes of sexual harassment but most important one is the culture and values
system and the relative power and status of the men and women in our society. The way in which
men and women are brought up in India strongly influences their behavior in an organization.
Women often lack self confidence because of the way they have been socialized and are
customized to suffer in silence.
Whereas men are brought up with macho beliefs, who consider females a mere toy to play with
and easily carry these values into the workplace. Such patriarchal viewpoints create a atmosphere
that allows men the freedom of sexual harassment in the workplace, while women remain
vulnerable. Women are vulnerable to sexual harassment because they more often lack power and
often work in an insecure positions. Due to the fear factor women often resign to their fate rather
than raise their voice against sexual harassment. Since they do not know where to go for
complain and how their complain would be treated, they often keep quit and suffer in ignominy.
Some times sexual harassment is also seen as a power game, where man insists on sexual favors
in exchange of benefits he can dispense with due to his prevailed position. The 'casting couch' is
probably the best-known example of such power game. As recent economic and social changes
have changed power relations between men and women in the Indian society, men are feeling a
sense of insecurity. With women now being empowered, some men feel threatened by their
career advancement. To over come such insecure feelings, some men resort to harassing women
in the work place.
Sometimes men are stressed in the work place because even after putting their best, they do not
get proper recognition, where as women with little talent are preferred for being fair sex in an
organization. This sometimes causes frustration and such men resort to sexual harassment to
overcome their stress. Its not only men who are to be blamed all the time, some women think that
the real women have to look sexy. They see sexuality as their only power base to play along.
Such attitude of women sometimes invites sexual advances by men at the work place and then
become a case of sexual harassment. One of the major reason that sexual harassment goes on
unabated because the organization in order to safeguard its image do not entertain complaint and
disciplinary procedures to deal with sexual harassment.

IMPROVEMENT AND PREVENTION

Employers that are educated in sexual discrimination and harassment laws can protect
themselves and their employees. Advances in technology also create new opportunities for other
forms of sexual abuse including sending pornographic material via electronic communication or
the trending sexting behavior many engage in. To avoid this, successful leaders can propose and
implement strategies to prevent this conduct in the work place. Gordon (2007) suggests leaders
incorporate programs that offer guidance for staff members including special problems like
sexual misbehavior in unique environments, including educational, military, religious, and
governmental facilities (Gordon, 2007). In addition, strategies that offer to help employees learn
how to communicate in an appropriate manner and deal with power and sexuality can also be
effective.
These include the development of guidelines and Codes of Conduct that can also serve to:
(a) protect whistle blowers,
(b) monitor policies to make sure they are being complied with,
(c) hire good people,
(d) apply techniques to discipline workers,
(e) set an ethical tone, and
(f) create an ethical conflict management team to assist in the behavioral management process.
Employers that are able to break free from old paradigms and release outdated views of how the
sexes interact can help develop a culture where employees feel not only safe, but feel confident
to discuss issues when they occur. These tactics help people to resolve issues before they reach
crisis level. In addition, employers can implement systems that include a designated person to
manage claims and support individuals that have been victimized by acknowledging that this is a
form of abuse that requires disciplinary action including termination from the perpetrator should
they be found guilty.

Business leaders that educate and empower their employees in legal issues with respect to sexual
discrimination and harassment issues can help them defend their constitutional rights. Chopra
(2013) reminds us that healthy relationships require healthy boundaries. They are an important
component that helps determine how people perceive, behave, and honor each other (Chopra,
2013). Federal, state, and local laws protect workers from discrimination. These laws make
employers responsible for the working conditions their employees are exposed to and remove
obstacles that can hinder fair treatment to workers. In addition, women nearly constitute one out
of every two workers in the workplace. This continual evolution of demographics is slowly
shifting the social climate in American businesses.
Employers that are highly educated and well versed in business law can make more effective
decisions. For example, many people that enter the work force come from environments that
consist of problems including sexual misbehavior, domestic abuse, incest, and the sexual
molestation of children. Plus, the public school system offers very little education and lacks
effective programs to help students understand how to manage these issues. Consequently, many
of them graduate and enter the work force with self-esteem and efficacy issues. Because their
boundaries were violated by the people they trusted most, many are confused about what is
appropriate behavior and what is not. Business leaders that are cognizant of these statistics are
better equipped to develop strategies that support their employees and cultivate an ethical
climate. These employers provide programs that offer education and devise codes of conduct that
clearly establish rules and regulations to help deter ethical misconduct. Vietnamese Buddhist
Monk Hanh (2012) asserts that the employment a person engages in should be an expression of
their entire being. In other words, the vocation they choose can be a wonderful opportunity to
express their deepest desires, provide a significant source of nourishment, happiness,
transformation, and healing. On the other hand, the job a person engages in can also create a
considerable amount of hostility, abuse, discontent, and suffering (Hanh, 2012). When
individuals bring awareness and are mindful of their words and actions, they can help cultivate
an ethical climate of understanding and compassion where workers feel safe to work in harmony
with their colleagues, free of discrimination and harassment.

No one should ever have to struggle or suffer additional discourse or humiliation on top of the
emotional distress and crisis they experience from the effects of sexual discrimination and
harassment. Wilde (1987) purported that life is not meant to be a struggle. In nature, for instance,
life requires a certain effort to sustain itself, but it does not struggle. In other words, a lion does
not wake up each morning and roar, Im going to struggle like a wild cat today and hopefully by
the time dinner rolls around I will have something hefty to chow down. In other words, there is
a big difference between the concept of struggling and that of making an effort (Wilde, 1987).
Leaders that make an effort and devise support systems that discourage ethical misconduct,
encourage victims to come forward, and do not punish the whistle blowers, can create a healthy
environment where employees do not have to struggle to feel safe. The findings of this research
deduced that while it may take considerable time and energy to examine legal situations in the
workplace, employers that do so can prevent litigation because it helps them identify laws that
have been developed to protect employees as well as help business leaders avoid facing penalties
or fines they are liable for due to issues like sexual discrimination and harassment. Hanh (2012)
purported that business leaders do not have to sacrifice their values to be successful (Hanh,
2012). In conclusion, employers that cultivate an ethical climate will most certainly operate their
organization within the framework of the law and incorporate this stance into their codes of

conduct. This effective leadership strategy is one that is likely to ensure an organizations long
term success.

Conclusion
Sexual harassment in a work place is a sensitive issue. It cannot be checked merely providing
staff members information about the sexual harassment policy or relying on disciplinary action.
The organization must play proactive role, provide behavioral support and discuss this aspect as
a part of the work routine. The staff must nurture an inclusive, supportive, and respectful
environment in the office in order to build a congenial working atmosphere.
Equally important is that the organization must support the victim of sexual harassment, and help
to overcome the negative effects of such an experience.

Finally, every working women must know that it is high time to stand up and fight for such
injustices. Its only then sexual harassment in work place can be checked.

REFERENCE
Adler, L. (2013). The essential guide for hiring and getting hired. Atlanta, GA: Workbench
Media.
Chopra, D. (2013, August 16). 21 day meditation challenge: Miraculous relationships. Retrieved
June 16, 2016, from chopracentermeditation.com: https://chopracentermeditation.com
Clarkson, K., & Miller, R. (2012). Business law: Text and cases: Legal, ethical, global and
corporate environment. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Fredman, S. (2011). Discrimination law. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Gordon, L. (2007). The sexual harrassment handbook. Franklin Lakes, NJ: The Career Press,
Inc.