Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Research Paper Example

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Sexual harassment in the workplace has been an interesting topic of discussion all over the world ever since the industrial revolution and the emergence of new economic trends in the world. It is widely recognized that any kind of sexual harassment in the workplace is against the principles of human rights across the globe and, in the United States, it is a form of discrimination which discards Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Significantly, in countries like UK, USA and many other countries, sexual harassment has been realized as most menacing and violating form of violence since long and there have been several steps to end this form of violation. It is important to note that sexual harassment is an appalling demographic issue widespread all over the world and several women in the world face sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment has become one of the most troubling people issue that today’s managers encountered with. “Sexual harassment consists of any unwanted sexual behavior including suggestive look, words, gestures, sexual jokes, physical touching or pressure for sexual favors. There are two types of sexual harassment: quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment. The quid pro quo harassment occurs when sexual favors are requested or demanded in exchange for tangible benefits like advancement and pay increase or to avoid tangible harm viz., loss of job, demotion and so on… A more subtle and possibly more pervasive form of sexual harassment is “hostile working environment”. It occurs when someone’s behavior in the workplace creates an unexpected environment that makes difficult for someone of particular sex to work.” (Bhuyian and Rabbanee, p 1). It has been a serious concern in the contemporary work-environment that the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace has not been efficiently dealt with and there are several cases of unwanted sexual behavior in the modern business context. Therefore, it is fundamental to implement measures that can effectively make an end to this serious issue of violating the human rights of an individual. In a reflective exploration of the serious issue of sexual harassment in the workplace in the USA, one realizes that it remains one of the basic problems among the workplace issues in the nation. Although there have been several steps to deal with this social evil, various studies as well as media reports confirm that the issue is still a serious concern in the United States. According to Barry S. Roberts and Richard A. Mann, On-the-job sexual harassment has been an important problem affecting the industrial and business sectors of the country. “Despite widespread publicity about the perils of sexual harassment,” they maintain, “surveys demonstrate that many businesses operating in the United States have yet to address the problem. Moreover, recent news reports indicate that sexual harassment has reached the highest levels of management. Although businesses know it exists, they appear unsure of what to do about it. As a result, the specter of employer liability for sexual harassment continues to loom over the workplace.” (Roberts and Mann) It is essential to realize that the failure to adopt a pro-active and aggressive stance on this issue can damage the employee morale, apart from various kinds of financial and legal liabilities. Importantly, the number of sexual harassment cases filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as well as in federal and state courts, has increased dramatically in the recent years and on-the-job sexual harassment remains a serious threat to social justice today. Therefore, sexual harassment in the workplace presents a continuing and mounting risk to businesses operating in the United States and it is fundamental to check the rising problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. However, it is important to recognize that the U.S. government as well as different bodies including the Supreme Court has undertaken valuable steps to deal with the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination which is in infringement of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the EEOC have implemented important steps to counter this issue. Similarly, the U.S. Supreme Court attempted to check this problem when it made employers more liable for sexual harassment of their employees in 1998. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, most of the companies in the U.S. now offer sexual harassment prevention training programs and adopt sexual harassment policy to counter the issue. The recent harassment statistics of the EEOC suggests that there has been a decrease in the reported cases of sexual harassment in workplace. “The number of grievance filed with the EEOC has gradually decreased over the last decade.  In 1997, close to 16,000 charges were filed.  In fiscal year 2007, this number dropped to 12,510.” (Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, 2009). However, it is important to realize that recent harassment statistics of the EEOC only discusses the formal complaints of sexual harassment in workplace, and a large number of sexual harassment situations go unreported. In this background, it is essential to realize the fundamental causes of sexual harassment in workplace and to be aware of the major ways to counter this issue. Notably, the causes of sexual harassment at work are complex and steeped in socialization, politics, and psychology. Although there are various causes of the issue which cannot be comprehended easily, it is essential to understand the basic factors affecting the issue. “Sexual harassment may stem from emotion or romance. However, the main reason of sexual offence in corporations is the severe imbalance of power in between supervisors and subordinate… The coworkers having no position and power can also influence the sexually harassed peers… Women in positions of power can be subjected to sexual harassment from males who occupy less powerful positions within the organization.” (Bhuyian and Rabbanee, p 2). Therefore, the causes of sexual harassment in workplace are various and they are normally beyond the control of any particular policy matters. However, the growing issue of sexual harassment in workplace can be checked only through effective workplace training and dynamic policy decisions by the employers as well as government bodies. In conclusion, it is fundamental to realize that the issue of sexual harassment in workplace has not been effectively dealt with in the context of contemporary business and industry, and there should be more strenuous and focused attempts to control the increasing problem of sexual harassment in workplace. References Bhuyian, S. M. Salamat Ullah and Rabbanee, W Fazlul Kabir. “Sexual harassment at workplace the inside story.” Icwai. p 1. Retrieved 08 February 2010, from http://www.icwai.org/icwai/knowledgebank/oh21.pdf Roberts, Barry S. and Mann, Richard A. “Sexual Harassment In The Workplace: A Primer.” UAKRON.EDU. Retrieved 08 February 2010, from http://www3.uakron.edu/lawrev/robert1.html “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.” (2009). Sexual Harassment Support. Retrieved 08 February 2010, from http://www.sexualharassmentsupport.org/SHworkplace.html Read More