Sexual Harassment Assignment, Essay Example

Sexual harassment is unwelcome verbal, physical, or visual conducts of sexual natures that is harsh or pervasive and affect working conditions or creates a hostile work environment. Sexual harassments include such acts as, sexual or sex based jokes, inappropriate touching of a person’s clothing, mailing email of a sexual nature, kissing and requesting sexual favors among others.

Hostile work environment and Quid pro quo harassment are the two main types of sexual harassment. Hostile environment is harassment created by unwelcoming sexual behaviors or behaviors directed at an employee of that employee’s sex that is offensive, hostile and intimidating and that adversely affects the ability to do the job. Quid pro quo on the other hand, is harassment where employment or employment decisions for an employee are based on the employee’s acceptance or rejection of unwelcoming sexual behavior.

The following are actions a company may set to ensure workplaces are free from sexual harassment; set the example, employees and customers, focus particularly on sexual conduct of highly paid executives, managers, and supervisors who represent the organization. Thus, it is essential that these leaders set model lawful and ethical behavior.

Conduct confidential investigations. This is by having a committee to investigate sexual harassment within the organization. Through this sexual harassment in an organization may reduce because the committee will be able to promote strong policies of disciplining guilty perpetrators.

Sensitizing employees through interactive training. Organization must set up interactive training addressing the sexual harassments issues, this helps trainees to gain experience in handling actual harassment situations or complaints.

Follow up on complaints, employers have the responsibility to ensure that suspected and guilty offenders have stopped their offensive actions. Allowing the executive’s behavior to continue sends the wrong message to employees in effect encouraging and reinforcing the harassment. Thus, any complaint must be followed and dealt with accordingly.