Sexual harassment is all too common

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Charlene began to feel uncomfortable when her boss started touching her when they spoke. Her discomfort grew when he disclosed the details of his troubled marriage. When her boss asked her to work late and attempted to pressure her into accepting his sexual advances or risk losing her job, she quit.

Jacqueline works in a warehouse with thirty men and one other woman. Her male co-workers have been relentless in their sexual comments and behavior. She has found pornographic posters in her locker, been the brunt of vulgar sexual jokes and has seen several men expose themselves to her. She dreads going to work because it's so stressful. Her boss's attitude is if he didn't see it, it didn't happen.

Do these sound like extreme cases to you? Unfortunately, they are all too common-even eleven years after the law against sexual harassment. According to Paul Wilkinson, of the Washington office of the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), the number of sexual harassment claims has stayed relatively constant over the last five years, with an uptick in 1990.

Much confusion exists about the difference between good-natured horseplay and sexual harassment. Do you know where to draw the line?

The EEOC defines sexual harassment as:"Any unwelcomed sexual advances, request for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature..." The victim doesn't have to be of the opposite sex nor does the victim have to be the one who is actually harassed; it could be anyone who is affected by the offensive conduct.

That leaves a lot of gray area...let's take a closer look. If you've been on the receiving end of some unwelcome advances at work, start by asking yourself these questions:

1.      Do you think your acceptance or refusal of these sexual advances could influence employment decisions such as whether you are hired, fired or promoted?

2.      Do you feel that these unwanted sexual advances are interfering with your work performance or are creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment?

If you believe you are being adversely affected, here's what you should do. First, you must tell the person clearly, seriously and firmly that his or her behavior is not welcomed. If you don't, the EEOC may not take your case. This removes any doubt that the offender is misreading your reaction. There must be no mixed signals about whether the behavior is welcomed.

If a co-worker is harassing you, tell your boss. It's your manager's job to step in immediately. In fact, if someone in authority knows what is going on and does nothing, your company may be liable.

If the culprit is your boss, go to the human resources department or someone else in authority to report the incident. They should respond quickly and tell the person to stop.

Almost any incident in the workplace that has a sexual connotation, which an employee finds offensive, can be considered sexual harassment. It's not the intent of the supervisor or co-worker that determines sexual harassment, but whether the victim considers the conduct objectionable.

So, the best rule of thumb for both parties to share the responsibility; that means asking the other person if your behavior is out of line or speaking up honestly if you object.

Most men and women just want to work together as equals. A little good-natured fun between the sexes can be a good way to ease the tensions of every day work and create a sense of team spirit. But when professional is mixed with sexual, it's important to know where to draw the line.

For further information, call 800-USA-EEOC

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