Sexual harassment is one of the biggest problems facing our
schools and businesses today. A week rarely goes by without a
reminder of the pervasiveness of sexual harassment as a social
problem. Sexual harassment is a growing problem in the government
agencies, schools, and the corporations of the world; however, many
corporations are now adopting new anti-harassment policies.(Conta)
The definition of sexual harassment is any unwanted or
inappropriate sexual attention. That includes touching, looks,
comments, or gestures. A key part of sexual harassment is that it is
one sided and unwanted. There is a great difference between sexual
harassment and romance or friendship, since those are mutual feelings
of two people. Often sexual harassment makes the victim feel guilty,
but it is important for the victim to remember that it is not their
fault, the fault lies totally on the person who is the harasser.
Many times fear is involved in sexual harassment because it
isn't about physical attraction, it's about power. In fact, many
sexual harassment incidents take place when one person is in a
position of power over the other.
Managers and supervisors are the front line when it comes to managing employee performance and needs from work. First, and most importantly, you do not want a workplace culture that allows any form of harassment to occur. Out of your commitment to your employees and your company, harassment, in any form, is never to be tolerated. In harassment, as well as in other law suit-engaging topics, as an employer, demonstrating that you took appropriate steps is crucial. In fact, demonstrating that you took immediate action and that the consequences for the perpetrator were severe, is also critical. And, the front line leader is usually the person initiating and following through on those steps, so they have to feel confident about what they are doing. Any form of harassment can create a hostile work environment including sexual harassment and...