10 things you may not know about sexual harassment

Sexual harassment in the workplace can be very difficult to define as it is not always obvious what is considered harassment and what is not. It’s important to get the facts before you unknowingly become a victim or a bully. These ten points below will give you an idea of ​​the misconceptions about sexual harassment in the workplace.

1. Simply making a suggestive comment can be considered sexual harassment. Signs of harassment include suggestive comments, teasing or teasing of a sexual nature, unwanted physical contact or sexual advances, continued use of offensive language, sexual jokes, bragging about sexual prowess, pin-ups in the office or locker room, and compliments on sexual connotations.
2. Sexual harassment need not occur between two people of the opposite sex; in fact, many cases involve same-sex harassment.
3. Have a sexual harassment policy No protect a company in lawsuits, although companies with strong and effective anti-harassment policies are less vulnerable to successful lawsuits. Companies must disseminate these policies to employees and provide them with appropriate training or be held legally responsible.
4. If a victim’s patients or clients are the harassers, it still counts. A harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or even someone who is not an employee, such as a doctor’s patient or a sales representative’s customer.
5. sexual misconduct is No a critical element in sexual harassment claims. In other words, a lawsuit does not have to be based on any actual “sex” that has taken place.
6. Sexual conduct is only illegal when it is unwelcome, meaning the victim did not request or encourage the conduct and the victim found it unwelcome or offensive.
7. Anything sent to or located in a shared or bookmarked folder on a public computer, such as offensive websites, inappropriate photos, or unpleasant emails, could be considered non-traditional sexual harassment or cyber bullying. In terms of US law, both traditional and non-traditional stalking are illegal.
8. Employees who report sexual harassment that they are aware of but do not take advantage of company policies or resources designed to prevent or eliminate harassment have much weaker cases than those who do. In fact, US Supreme Court rulings emphasize “reasonable behavior” by both employees and employers in cases of harassment. For employees, this means taking advantage of company anti-harassment policies.
9. Cases with male victims are largely underreported. Less than 20% of all cases are filed by men. The researchers believe that this figure represents far underestimates of actual incidents in which men are victims.
10. Instead of keeping a distance, a supervisor should always try to negotiate a resolution between the victim and the harasser. If supervisors can handle a situation immediately and effectively, a costly lawsuit can be avoided.

This ten point article is designed to help you learn about the lesser known facts about sexual harassment. By analyzing relevant case studies, we collect this important data to pass on to employers, trainers, human resources representatives and employees. With these points in mind, sexual harassment in the workplace can be identified and potentially prevented. Because every work environment is different, you need to double-check your own company’s policies and protocols for dealing with harassment. Also, learning about the laws and regulations in place in your state will help you stay one step ahead, as anti-harassment laws are constantly evolving.