Sexual Harrassment essays

Sexual Harrassment essays It is important to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace because it has many social, financial, and psychological consequences if not properly dealt with (Gerdes 33). Over the last 20 years, the Supreme Court has handled hundreds of cases dealing with the issue. It has modified and amended the laws concerning the act in order to form a less hostile workplace (Springer). It is hard to calculate just how much sexual harassment is taking place in the workplace because so many employees are unaware of the rules, but also because many are just too embarrassed to come forward. The most accurate and recent study was taken in 1987 and found that as many as 44% of women and 19% of men have experienced some sort of unwanted sexual advancements in public agencies alone. The number of incidents occurring in private business is unknown (Lindenberg 2). It is expected that as more women assume supervisory positions in the work place that the numbers will increase (Larsen). In order to discuss the topic of sexual harassment in the work place, one must have a clear definition of what actually constitutes sexual harassment. Surprisingly, however, there is no one single definition for this act. Each agency is responsible for implementing its own rules and regulations for the subject. Fortunately, though, most definitions can be interpreted nearly the same. The United States Department of Defense has a good and thorough definition that reads: Sexual Harassment may constitute one or several of the following: Æ’Ã ¦ Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person ¡s job, pay, or career or, Æ’Ã ¦ Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or Æ’Ã ¦ Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual ¡s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensi...