Sexual

Harassment
in the
Workplace
 Learning
Objectives
• Definition of sexual
harassment
• Learning the
different types of
sexual harassment
• Identifying sexual
harassment
• Steps to filing
a complaint
 Definition
• Unwelcome verbal,
visual, or physical
conduct of a
sexual nature that
is severe or
pervasive and
affects working
conditions or
creates a hostile
work environment.
 Breaking down the
definition : “Conduct”
• Conduct is NOT sexual
harassment if it is
welcome. For this
reason, it is important
to communicate
(either verbally or in
writing) to the
harasser that the
conduct makes you
uncomfortable and
you want it to stop.
 “Of a Sexual
Nature”
• Verbal/Written:
Comments about clothing,
personal behavior, or a
person’s body; sexual or
sex-based jokes;
requesting sexual favors or
repeatedly asking a person
out; sexual innuendoes;
telling rumors about a
person’s personal or
sexual life; threatening a
person, sending emails or
text messages of a sexual
nature
• Physical: Assault;
impeding or blocking
movement; inappropriate
touching of a person or a
person’s clothing; kissing,
“Of A Sexual
Nature”
• Nonverbal:
Looking up and
down a person’s
body; derogatory
gestures or facial
expressions of a
sexual nature;
following a person
• Visual: Posters,
drawings, pictures,
screensavers,
emails or text of a
sexual nature
“Of A Sexual
Nature”
• Nonverbal:
Looking up and
down a person’s
body; derogatory
gestures or facial
expressions of a
sexual nature;
following a person
• Visual: Posters,
drawings, pictures,
screensavers,
emails or text of a
sexual nature
 Of a Non-Sexual
Nature
• ** Non-sexual conduct may also be
sexual harassment if you are harassed
because you are female, rather than
male, or because you are male, rather
than female.
• For example, it may be sexual
harassment if you are a woman working
as a carpenter on an all-male job, and
you are the only one whose tools are
frequently hidden by your male co-
workers.
 Sexual Orientation
Harassment
Examples of sexual orientation harassment
that either interferes with an individual’s
employment or creates a hostile work
environment are as follows:
•Stating or implying in a joking or negative
manner that an employee is a gay, lesbian,
bi-sexual, transgender, gender non-
confirming or heterosexual individual.
•Making jokes about gay, lesbian, bi-
sexual, transgender, gender non-
confirming or heterosexual individuals.
 Sexual Orientation
Harassment
• Inquiring into the sexual practices of gay,
lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, gender non-
confirming or heterosexual individuals as a
group.
• Using derogatory slang about a gay, lesbian, bi-
sexual, transgender, gender non-confirming or
heterosexual individual.
• Repeatedly expressing negative opinions about
gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, gender
non-confirming or heterosexual individuals.
Any harassing activity that is directed towards an
employee due to the employee’s sexual
orientation, or that is negative about differing
sexual orientations, can constitute sexual
orientation harassment.
 Discussion of Intent vs.
Impact
How do you know if your comments or
actions are unwanted or unwelcome?
Test yourself by asking these questions:

•Is there equal power between me and the

person I’m interacting with?
•Is there equal initiation and participation
between me and the person I’m interacting
with?
•Would I behave the same way if the
person I’m in a relationship with were
standing next to me?
 Discussion of Intent vs.
Impact
• Would I want someone else to act this
way toward a person that I’m in a
relationship with?
• Would I want any of those behaviors to be
the subject of a column in my agency’s
newsletters or to appear on the evening
news?
• Have I examined and acknowledged my
sex-role stereotypes?
 “Severe or
Pervasive”
• The conduct of the harasser must be either
severe or pervasive to be classified as
sexual harassment.
• Although a single unwanted request for a
date or one sexually suggestive comment
might offend you and/or be inappropriate,
it may not be sexual harassment. However,
a number of relatively minor separate
incidents may add up to sexual harassment
if the incidents affect your work
Questions to ask
yourself:
• How many times did
the incidents occur?
• How long has the
harassment been
going on?
• How many others
have been sexually
harassed?
• Who were witnesses
to the harassment?
 “Affects working conditions or
creates
a hostile work environment”
• It may be sexual harassment if the conduct
unreasonably interferes with your work
performance or creates an “intimidating,
hostile, or offensive work environment.”
• For example, it may be sexual harassment
if repeated sexual comments make you so
uncomfortable at work that your
performance suffers or you decline
professional opportunities because it will
put you in contact with the harasser.
 Hostile Work Environment

• Verbal, physical or visual forms of

harassment, that are sexual in nature,
"sufficiently severe, persistent, or
pervasive" and unwelcome fall under the
category of Hostile Environment Sexual
Harassment.
• A single, severe incident, such as a sexual
assault, could create a hostile
environment. More commonly, a "hostile
environment" is created by a series of
 Types of Sexual
Harassment
• Quid Pro Quo
(“This for that”)
A person in a
position of authority,
typically a
supervisor, demands
sexual favors as a
condition to getting
or keeping a job
benefit.
 Examples of Sexual
Harassment
• Unwanted jokes, gestures,
offensive words on
clothing, and unwelcome
comments and witty
responses.
• Touching and any other
bodily contact such as
scratching or patting a
coworker's back, grabbing
an employee around the
waist, or interfering with
an employee's ability to
move.
• Repeated requests for
dates that are turned
down or unwanted flirting.
 Examples of Sexual
Harassment
• Transmitting or posting emails, texts, or
pictures of a sexual or other harassment-
related nature.

• Displaying sexually suggestive objects,

pictures, or posters.

• Playing sexually suggestive music.

 Verbal-Examples of Sexual
Harassment
• Referring to an adult as a girl, a boy,
hunk, doll, babe, or honey
• Whistling at someone, making cat calls
• Making sexual comments about a
person’s body
• Making sexual comment or innuendos
• Turning work discussion to sexual topics
• Telling sexual jokes or stories
• Asking about sexual fantasies,
preferences, or history
 Verbal-Examples of Sexual
Harassment
• Asking person questions about social or
sexual life
• Making sexual comments about a
person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks
• Repeatedly asking our a person who is
not interested
• Making kissing sounds, howling, and
smacking lips
• Telling lies or speaking rumors about a
person’s sex life
 Non-Verbal-Examples of Sexual
Harassment
• Looking a person up and down (elevator
eyes)
• Staring at someone
• Blocking a person’s path
• Following the person
• Giving personal gifts
• Displaying sexually suggestive visual
• Making facial expressions such a winking
throwing kisses, licking lips
• Making sexual gestures with hands or
 Physical-Examples of Sexual
Harassment

• Giving a massage around the neck or

shoulders
• Touching the person’s clothing, hair, or
body
 Steps to Take if
Harassed
1. Remain professional.
2. Be direct with the harasser. Let him/her know
that you do not like the behavior and that the
conduct is unwanted and unwelcome and you
want it to stop immediately.
3. Go to the Program Director and explain the
circumstances. Be sure to take with you
documented dates, times, and specific
occurrences if you have them. Also, report the
incident to the If the appropriate Program
Director is unavailable, or is the offender,
report the incident directly to the Chief
Operating Officer.
 Steps to Take if
Harassed
4. When reporting the harassment, be prepared
to share all the facts about the incident(s).
Write down the important details of the
incidents(s). Collect your thoughts before you
begin; remember to provide who, what, when,
where, how, and any witnesses.

5. Think about how the situation could be

resolved.
 What will the Program Director
do they received a Complaint
1. We will talk to you and take notes about what
you are
Sharing.
2. Act immediately and appropriately upon
receiving a claim of harassment, take
immediate action! Talk to the complainant
as soon as possible. Remember that ignoring
the situation will not make it go away.
3. Explain the process. Review your company’s
sexual harassment policy with the parties
involved. Inform them of the steps you will
take in following up on the complaint.
 What will the Program Director
do if they received a Complaint

4. Get the facts. Document what you are told!

Also,
make it clear that the information will be kept as
confidential as possible and only discussed with
people directly involved in the investigation.
5.Listen attentively. Remain objective. Listen to
both
sides before deciding the next course of action.
6.Conclusion. The Chief Operating Officer will
make your determination. Inform both parties of
your investigative findings, the determination, and
any corrective/disciplinary steps.