What Is the Definition of Sexual Harassment?

What is the definition of sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination that is characterized by inappropriate and unwanted comments or behavior regarding sex, sexual orientation or gender. It includes:

Unwanted advances
Requests for sexual favors
Hostile verbal or physical conduct based on gender, regardless of whether the overtures are sexual in nature

Types of sexual harassment

There are two types of sexual harassment:

Hostile work environment : This type of sexual harassment occurs when comments or behavior are so persistent that it creates a demeaning or intimidating work environment. This situation could include employees frequently displaying offensive pictures or repeatedly making unwelcome sexual jokes.
Quid pro quo: This is a Latin phrase that means “something for something.” This generally involves situations where someone asks an employee for sexual favors in exchange for something else, whether it’s a benefit or to avoid punishment. An example of this would be if a supervisor suggests promoting an employee if they agree to go on a date.

How to create a harassment-free work environment

Here are some steps you can take to create a positive, harassment-free work environment:

1. Model good behavior

Leading by example is one of the best leadership techniques you can practice. Executives and managers must model the behavior they want to see in their workforce. This includes attending any training programs on harassment and complying with all corporate policies. Company leaders are particularly visible, which means they should be particularly vigilant about adhering to an organization’s set principles. While it is acceptable to make jokes, managers should exercise good judgment in their words and actions. When these individuals stay in line with the company policies, they set a tone of respect among the rest of the workforce.

2. Provide quality training regularly

Sexual harassment prevention training is essential for maintaining a positive work environment for your entire workforce. An effective training program should define harassment, offer examples of what constitutes harassment, explain the process of finding help if employees feel they’re being harassed and discuss strategies for preventing harassment in the workplace. The program should also cover how the company will conduct investigations and how it will protect employees from retaliation if they do complain. Your training program should be interactive and relevant to your employees and the industry you’re in. It should also be designed to encourage positive behaviors and attitudes rather than focusing on the laws.

Start by conducting annual training sessions for your entire workforce and undergo special training anytimesomeone gets promoted into a supervisory position. It’s also important to be aware that some states have their own legal guidelines related to sexual harassment training. Your state may have laws that specify how often you are required to conduct sexual harassment training.

3. Maintain anopen-door policy

While some employers prefer a formal written complaint, the ideal approach is an open door policy where managers can easily receive complaints at any time. In addition to having the policy in your handbook, your work environment should also support this method of being heard. Complaints conveyed orally can be put into writing later after the investigation has begun.

4. Encourage action

Encourage employees to help one another by speaking up if they hear or notice comments or behavior that does not comply with the company policy. Simply telling a colleague to stop the behavior is often a powerful deterrent for future occurrences.

5. Promote diversity and inclusion

Promoting diversity and inclusion are important in order to prevent harassment in the workplace. Welcome people with different belief systems, backgrounds, genders, ethnicities, abilities and ages into your workforce as well as your organization’s operations and leadership. To better manage diversity in the workplace, consider establishing diverse mentorships and building diverse teams. By taking these measures, you strengthen relationships among team members, promote inclusion and create a more positive work environment.

Frequently asked questions about sexual harassment

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about sexual harassment:

Who can be sexually harassed in the workplace?

While statistics show that sexual harassment most often occurs towards women, it is a gender-neutral offense. Anyone can be sexually harassed, whether by someone of the opposite or the same sex.

How can companies prevent sexual harassment?

There are four steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of sexual harassment in the workplace, including:

Adopting a sexual harassment policy: You should have a policy in your handbook that is specifically devoted to sexual harassment.
Training employees: Visit your sexual harassment policy annually and offer scenarios to clearly explain what is and is not sexual harassment.
Educating managers: Train your managers on how to handle sexual harassment claims and revisit the topic annually to remind them of what steps they should take and how they should address concerns that their employees have.
Enforcing your policy: Be consistent in enforcing your sexual harassment policy.

What should be included in a sexual harassment policy?

The sexual harassment policy in your handbook should:

Define sexual harassment
Include a statement that sexual harassment is not tolerated
State that wrongdoers will face disciplinary action or termination
Provide a clear procedure for filing complaints
State that you will fully investigate any complaints
Include a statement that retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment will not be tolerated

What Is the Definition of Sexual Harassment?

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