Anyone who harasses someone (an applicant or employee) because of their sex is in violation of the law. Asking for sexual favors, unwanted advances, and other forms of physical or verbal sexual harassment are all considered harassment in this context. Both the harasser and the victim may be of the same sex, and either one of them may be a man or a woman. Even though the law does not forbid simple mockery, isolated incidents that may not be serious or offhand comments, harassment is unlawful when it is so sever or frequent that it creates an offensive or hostile work environment or when it leads to an adverse employment resolution (the victim being demoted or fired) (McDonald, 2012).
Sometimes employees are so traumatized by the harassment that they suffer server physical or emotional consequences and often lose the ability to perform their job as expected. Within working environments, the harasser can be a co-worker, the supervisor of the victim, a supervisor from another place or a customer or client. Within the society or workplaces, victims especially women choose not to report such cases until there is a serious mass of accusations. They fear losing their jobs or becoming less employable while some fear not being believed (McDonald, 2012).
Sexual harassment include proceeds of a sexual character, request for sexual favors or other physical or verbal behavior. When such behavior is used while making employment resolution or as a state of one's employment, it is known as quid pro quo harassment. When such behavior leads to a negative work environment or interferes with performance at work, it is known as aggressive environment harassment (Quinn, 2002).
Aspects of sexual harassment
The relatively incapable or powerless people such as women, the girl child, temp workers or those underneath the hierarchy are easily targeted. One in two women has experienced some form of unwanted sexual behavior or sexual harassment in their lifetime. Women working in environments dominated by men often become the target of sexual harassment as they are perceived as "deviating" from their role by taking on men's job. Those who are most likely to be victims of sexual harassment include young, unmarried women, and those women with high levels of education and holding powerful positions within their company or organization. It is often imagined that women with higher education and authority in their places of work face greater risks because they are perceived as status seeking and thus a threat to "traditional male authority" (Mueller, De Coster, & Estes, 2001).
When women are few in the workplace, they become absolutely salient and often encounter aggression on this basis. In such circumstances, gender is imagined to become a salient characteristic of the work duties for women, hence leading to a more sexualized work environment. Due to this reason, women are always less likely to speak against sexual harassment because they fear retributions and alienation from supervisors and co-workers (Mueller, De Coster, & Estes, 2001).
For people, the costs of being a victim of work place sexual harassment include negative physical or psychological impacts and effects related to work. Physically and psychologically, such harassment is associated with anxiety, depression, weight loss, sleep problems, problematic drinking, overall poorer physical and mental health status and post traumatic stress disorder (Chan et al., 2008). The negative workplace associated impacts related with sexual harassment include declined job satisfaction, increased job associated stress, lower commitment to work, and financial stress connected to with efforts to keep away from harassment by taking leave, transferring positions or resigning from job positions. Even employees who are not victimized directly by sexual harassment are subject to feeling the impacts of having to work in an atmosphere that has turned aggressive because of sexual harassment. For employers, the impacts related to sexual harassment include reduced work productivity, higher employee turnover and financial losses connected to these factors. Employers might also incur or suffer penalties and costs from workers who file suits related to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment also impacts the reputation of a company or organization negatively (Chan et al., 2008).
The tolerance of the organizational climate determines the perceived risk of the potential victim to complain, the availability and possibility of approval for harassers and the response of one's protest by colleagues and the organization concerning how serious they are. Organizational and the job gender context of an institution or organization (work group composition) play an essential role in aiding sexual harassment. The organizational climate is at present perceived as the most powerful predator of sexual harassment (Maypole, 1996).
How Sexual Harassment Could Be Positively Supported Using Social Controls
The eventual responsibility for maintaining an atmosphere free from sexual harassment rests with educators, housing providers, employers and other responsible parties. Institutions and organizations also have a legal responsibility to respond and prevent sexual harassment. They must ensure that they provide environments that respect human right. Laws, organizational policies, education and other responsible parties can go a long way towards providing an environment free from sexual harassment by putting in place a clear and comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policy. In case of sexual harassment, the policies will alert parties to their rights, responsibilities and roles (Tester, 2008).
Employers can be held responsible for quid pro quo, hostile environment and workplace sexual harassment. One way in which employers can control the issue of sexual harassment is by creating and maintaining clearly written policies about sexual harassment. The existence of compact and rigid laws that close all the loopholes that would otherwise lead to the occurrences of cases of sexual harassment goes a long way towards ensuring that the issue is prevented. A perfect example is the Sexual Harassment Act which dictates the penalties put in place for anyone found guilty of sexual harassment. Other social bodies such as educators also go a long way towards making sure that everybody within the workplace is equipped with necessary information on sexual harassment and the consequence of the issue in an attempt to control the issue (Tester, 2008). The government on the other hand plays the most crucial role in controlling the vice. The government is charged with the responsibility of forming bodies which help in the mobilization of issues surrounding sexual harassment. Mobilization in terms of passing information both within the workplace and the society at large, publishing posters which discourage people from harassing others sexually (Tester, 2008). The government is also charged with the responsibility of forming laws which are meant to regulate the issue of sexual harassment. Such laws are formed and amended by an act of parliament. Other social bodies that help in controlling sexual harassment include religious organizations and public campaigns which pass messages that discourage sexual harassment within the society (Tester, 2008).
Recommendations
To prevent sexual harassment, employers should enforce a sexual harassment policy and put into practice as fully as possible and supervise its efficiency. Employers and management should make it clear to work participants and employees that sexual harassment is not accepted in the work place. This can be done by coming up with a sexual harassment policy and communicating it to every employee and ensuring that it is understood. Additionally, it is essential that fitting conduct be modeled by employers all over the work place. A written policy alone is inadequate. A policy that is not put into practice through communication, education and enforcement will do little or of no use in discharging legal responsibility. In order to prevent sexual harassment, it is recommended that the employer should take the following steps and procedures:
Obtain High-Level Organization Support
This involves gaining high-level support from the senior management and chief executive officer for putting into practice a complete approach to address sexual harassment.
Write and Put in Place a Sexual Harassment Policy
This approach encompasses developing a written policy which bans sexual harassment in discussion with workers and pertinent unions, frequently handing out and endorsing the policy at all levels of the organization, and supplying the policy and other useful information on the topic to new workers as a regular part of introduction. Additionally the involved individuals must interpret the policy into applicable community language where needed so it is accessible to workers from linguistically and culturally varying origins, and making sure that the policy is available to disable members of staff. It is also crucial to make sure that the supervisors and managers talk about and strengthen the policy at staff meetings (communicating the policy verbally in workplaces where the literacy of workers might be an issue), occasionally evaluate the policy to make sure it is functioning effectively and contains updated information.
Supply Regular Information and Training on Sexual Harassment to All Management and Workers
Organizations should carry out regular training conferences for management and all workers on sexual harassment and the managerial policy. The training should be conduct based which means that it should increase understanding and knowledge of specific conducts that might lead to sexual harassment (Regular reminder training is recommended). Another option is to train all line managers on their duty in making sure that the workplace sexual-harassment free, exhibit anti-sexual harassment placards on notice boards in popular work places and distribute appropriate brochures.
Push For Appropriate Behavior by Managers
This strategy involves getting rid of offensive pornographic or sexually explicit calendars, posters, literature and other material from the work place, and coming up with a policy condemning unsuitable use of computer technology, such as screen savers, e-mail and the internet. It is also recommended that large and medium employers carry out frequent audits to check the occurrence of sexual harassment in their places of work and the use and efficiency of their complaints methods.
For individual supervisors, managers and employees who find themselves as victims of sexual harassment within the workplace, it is recommended that they consult with the company or organization's policy on sexual harassment and pursue it. Following it might mean notifying the supervisor of the state of affairs. Another recommendation for intervention with regards to sexual harassment is to attain social support from others including friend, family and co-workers mostly those who might have observed occurrences and might be willing to act or help as witnesses. It is only recommended that an individual who has been harassed to directly speak with the harasser about the conduct if he or she feels secure enough to do so.
Organizations should also come up with clear outlines of objectives concerning sexual harassment. This serves as a demonstration that is dedicated to a complete approach for getting rid of sexual harassment. Employers should therefore consider something alongside the following lines.
This institution aims to: come up with a working atmosphere free from sexual harassment and where workers are treated with respect, dignity and courtesy, put in place training and awareness raising strategies to ensure that all staff know their responsibilities and rights, issue an efficient procedure for complaints based on the values of practical justice, treat all complaints in a fair sensitive confidential and timely manner, pledge protection from any reprisals and victimization, promote or encourage the reporting of conduct which violates the sexual harassment policy and endorse suitable standards of behavior at all times.
Potential Social or Economic Benefits Resulting From Implementation of Recommendations
Implementation of the above mentioned recommendations goes a long way towards: making women and other potential victims have a sense of belonging as this will give them the freedom to achieve their objectives in their career and life in general, implantation of the recommendations will also create a conducive working environment and atmosphere where employees and women in particular can explore their full potential, it will also foster equality within workplaces between men and women and thus help vulnerable individuals pursue job positions which are otherwise "reserved" for certain groups or gender.
Implementation of the recommendations within organizations will also create equal employment opportunities for everyone in the job market. This is so because the fear factor that has long been a stumbling block is eliminated. This enables women and other vulnerable groups to pursue occupations and professions they wish to pursue.
Implementation of the recommendations also would lead to an increase in financial value of companies and organizations. This would come by as a result of the suitable working environment where everybody feels safe and motivated to working with at most passion and giving the best for the organization.
Conclusion
The main purpose of this paper was to provide issue surrounding workplace sexual harassment and give ways in which employers and individuals can effectively control it. It is imperative for employers and employees to familiarize themselves with the variety of ways of defining such harassment and various types of conduct that might be experienced as sexual harassment. Thus it is essential for all parties to familiarize themselves with the various forms and definition. Sexual harassment keeps being a popular dilemma in the work place with negative consequences affecting both employees and employers, particularly those who are feminine.
There are a number of ways to respond and prevent cases of sexual harassment including looking into incidents related to sexual harassment with immediate effect in case they take place and adopting clear and effective policies. Even though it may be the legal duty of employers of doing so, it is the duty of everybody within the workplace to understand this matter and create an atmosphere or environment that stops sexual harassment before it ever happens.
References
Chan, D., Lam, C., Chow, S., & Cheung, S. (2008). Examining the job-related, psychological, and physical outcomes of workplace sexual harassment: a meta-analytic review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(4), 362-376.
Maypole, D. E. (1996). Sexual harassment of social workers at work: Injustice within? Social Work, 30(1), 29-34.
McDonald, P. (2012). Workplace sexual harassment 30 years on: a review of the literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 14(1), 1-17
Mueller, C. W., Coster, S. D., & Estes, S. B, (2001), sexual harassment in the work place: Unanticipated consequences of modern social control in organizations. Work and Occupations, 28(4), 411-446.
Quinn, Beth A. (2002). Sexual Harassment and Masculinity: The Power and Meaning of “Girl Watching.” Gender & Society, 16(3): 386-402.
Tester, Griff. 2008. An Intersectional Analysis of Sexual Harassment in Housing. Gender & Society 22(3): 349-366.
