"Sexual harassment is illegal. It is defined by law as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical contact of a sexual nature."
In practical terms, there are two kinds of sexual harassment:
Quid Pro Quo:
Where employment decisions or expectations (e.g., hiring decisions, promotions, salary increases, shift or work assignments, performance expectations) are based on an employee's willingness to grant or deny sexual favors.
Examples:
- Demanding sexual favors in exchange for a promotion or a raise.
- Disciplining or firing a subordinate who ends a romantic relationship.
- Changing performance expectations after a subordinate refuses repeated requests for a date.
Hostile Environment
Where verbal, visual, or physical behavior in the workplace: 1) focuses on the sexuality of another person or occurs because of the person's gender; 2) is unwanted or unwelcome; and 3) is severe or pervasive enough to affect the person's work environment.
The following are examples of behaviors that can create a hostile environment if they are unwanted and uninvited:
- Off-color jokes or teasing, sexual innuendos
- Comments about body parts or sex life
- Repeated requests for dates
- Excessive attention in the form of love letters, telephone calls or gifts
- Suggestive pictures, posters, calendars or cartoons
- Offensive emails, screensavers, computer material
- Leering, stares or gestures
- Invading another person's "space"
- Touching - brushes, pats, hugs, shoulder rubs or pinches