Definition: Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination, in the United States, that violates Title VII of the

Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sexual harassment occurs when one employee makes continued, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, to another employee, against his or her wishes. According to a current issues update from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment occurs, "when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment." Examples of Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of situations. These are examples of sexual harassment, not intended to be all inclusive. y Unwanted jokes, gestures, offensive words on clothing, and unwelcome comments and repartee. y Touching and any other bodily contact such as scratching or patting a coworker's back, grabbing an employee around the waiste, or interfering with an employee's ability to move. y Repeated requests for dates that are turned down or unwanted flirting. y Transmitting or posting emails or pictures of a sexual or other harassment-related nature. y Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or posters. y Playing sexually suggestive music. When an employee complains to a supervisor, another employee, or the Human Resources office, about sexual harassment, an immediate investigation of the charge should occur. Supervisors should immediately involve Human Resources staff. Employees need to understand that they have an obligation to report sexual harassment concerns to their supervisor or the Human Resources office.

Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors.[1] In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment may be illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and annoyances to actual sexual abuse or sexual assault.[2] Sexual harassment is a form of illegalemployment discrimination in many countries, and is a form of abuse (sexual and psychological)

andbullying. For many businesses, preventing sexual harassment, and defending employees from sexual harassment charges, have become key goals of legal decisionmaking. In contrast, many scholars complain that sexual harassment in education remains a "forgotten secret," with educators and administrators refusing to admit the problem exists in their schools, or accept their legal and ethical responsibilities to deal with it (Dziech, 1990). [edit]Harassment situations Sexual harassments can occur in a variety of circumstances. Often, but not always, the harasser is in a position of power or authority over the victim (due to differences in age, or social, political, educational or employment relationships). Forms of harassment relationships include:


The harasser can be anyone, such as a client, a co-worker, a parent or legal guardian, a teacher or professor, a student, a friend, or a stranger. The victim does not have to be the person directly harassed but can be anyone who finds the behavior offensive and is affected by it. Adverse affects on the target are common The victim can be any gender. The harasser can be any gender. The harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex. The harasser may be completely unaware that his or her behavior is offensive or constitutes sexual harassment or may be completely unaware that his or her actions could be unlawful.[3]

   

Misunderstanding: It can result from a situation where one thinks he/she is making themselves clear, but is not understood the way they intended. The misunderstanding can either be reasonable or unreasonable. An example of unreasonable is when a man holds a certain stereotypical view of a woman such that he did not understand the womans explicit message to stop.(Heyman, 1994)

Sexual harassment can also occur in group settings as part of rituals or ceremonies, such as when members engage newcomers in abusive or sexually explicit rites as part

of hazing or initiation. Such traditions have historically taken place in arenas of male or female bonding, such as team sports, fraternities, and sororities. [edit]Common effects on the victims Common professional, academic, financial, and social effects of sexual harassment:
   

Decreased work or school performance; increased absenteeism Loss of job or career, loss of income Having to drop courses, change academic plans, or leave school (loss of tuition) Having one's personal life offered up for public scrutinythe victim becomes the "accused," and his or her dress, lifestyle, and private life will often come under attack. Being objectified and humiliated by scrutiny and gossip Becoming publicly sexualized (i.e. groups of people "evaluate" the victim to establish if he or she is "worth" the sexual attention or the risk to the harasser's career) Defamation of character and reputation Loss of trust in environments similar to where the harassment occurred Loss of trust in the types of people that occupy similar positions as the harasser or his or her colleagues Extreme stress upon relationships with significant others, sometimes resulting in divorce; extreme stress on peer relationships, or relationships with colleagues Weakening of support network, or being ostracized from professional or academic circles (friends, colleagues, or family may distance themselves from the victim, or shun him or her altogether) Having to relocate to another city, another job, or another school

 

  

 

Loss of references/recommendations [edit]Effects of sexual harassment on organizations Decreased productivity and increased team conflict Decrease in success at meeting financial goals (because of team conflict) Decreased job satisfaction Loss of staff and expertise from resignations to avoid harassment or resignations/firings of alleged harassers; loss of students who leave school to avoid harassment Decreased productivity and/or increased absenteeism by staff or students experiencing harassment

   

Increased health care costs and sick pay costs because of the health consequences of harassment The knowledge that harassment is permitted can undermine ethical standards and discipline in the organization in general, as staff and/or students lose respect for, and trust in, their seniors who indulge in, or turn a blind eye to, sexual harassment If the problem is ignored, a company's or school's image can suffer

Quid Pro Sexual Harassment Quid pro quo (From the Latin meaning "what for what")[1] indicates a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services.English speakers often use the term to mean "a favor for a favor" and the phrases with almost identical meaning include: "what for what", "give and take", "tit for tat", "this for that", and "you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours".

Quid Pro Quo is a skill in the game Perfect World. It can be learned by the Seeker class upon reaching level 59 and spending the proper amount of coin and spirit. It allows your soul to pass through the void to transfer debuffs onto your target. Quid Pro Quo is also the latest album released by the group Status Quo

Hostile Environment Sexual Harrassment In employment law, hostile environment sexual harassment refers to a situation where employees in a workplace are subject to a pattern of exposure to unwanted sexual behavior from persons other than an employee's direct supervisor where supervisors or managers take no steps to discourage or discontinue such behavior. It is distinguished from quid pro quo sexual harassment, where a direct supervisor seeks sexual favors in return for something within the supervisor's powers, such as threatening to fire someone, or offering them a raise. Quid pro quo has been recognized as actionable for decades, but courts have only recognized hostile environment as an actionable behavior since the late 1980s as they made findings that the loss of

employment or constructive dismissal has been caused by such behavior. Some situations that have been ruled to constitute such a hostile environment are:
 

Posting pictures of pornography in employee's cubicles Consistently telling "dirty" jokes or stories where all employees in the work area can hear them Tolerating employees who make sexually suggestive remarks about other employees within earshot of others Allowing peer employees, clients, suppliers, delivery persons, or even customers (Lockard v. Pizza Hut, 162 F.3d 1062, 1073) to persist in unwanted attention, such as asking for dates Allowing the use of derogatory terms with a sexual connotation (e.g., "pussy," "girlieman," "player") to be used to describe co-workers

Allowing frequent physical contact, even when not sexual Positive Values


If you are interested in turning your internship into a job offer, its important to know exactly what employers look for when hiring full-time employees. In addition to relevant skills, employers seek employees who have the personal values, characteristics, and personality traits that spell success. Good personal values are what makes the foundation for a good employee. Internships are an excellent time to show employers that you have the personal traits that they value in their employees. Do not make the mistake of missing the opportunity to show your supervisors at your internship that you have what it takes to be successful on the job as well as possessing the personal characteristics they value. An internship is an opportunity to learn the skills and behaviors along with the work values that are required for success in the workplace. Here is a List of the Top 10 Values Employers Look for in Employees. 1. Strong Work Ethic Employers value employees who understand and possess a willingness to work hard. In addition to working hard it is also important to work smart. This means learning the most efficient way to complete tasks and finding ways to save time while completing daily assignments. Its also important to care about your job and complete all projects while maintaining a positive attitude. Doing more than is expected on the job is a good way to show management that you utilize good time management skills and dont waste valuable company time attending to personal issues not related to the job. Downsizing in todays job market is quite common so its important to recognize the personal values and attributes employers want to improve your chances of job security should a layoff occur. 2. Dependability and Responsibility

Employers value employees who come to work on time, are there when they are suppose to be, and are responsible for their actions and behavior. Its important to keep supervisors abreast of changes in your schedule or if you are going to be late for any reason. This also means keeping your supervisor informed on where you are on all projects you have been assigned. Being dependable and responsible as an employee shows your employer that you value your job and that you are responsible in keeping up with projects and keeping them informed of the things that they should know about. 3. Possessing a Positive Attitude. Employers seek employees who take the initiative and have the motivation to get the job done in a reasonable period of time. A positive attitude gets the work done and motivates others to do the same without dwelling on the challenges that inevitably come up in any job. It is the enthusiastic employee who creates an environment of good will and who provides a postive role model for others. A positive attitude is something that is most valued by supervisors and co-workers and that also makes the job more pleasant and fun to go to each day. 4. Adaptability Employers seek employees who are adaptable and maintain flexibility in completing tasks in an ever changing workplace. Being open to change and improvements provides an opportunity to complete work assignments in a more efficient manner while offering additional benefits to the corporation, the customer, and even the employee. While oftentimes employees complain that changes in the workplace dont make sense or makes their work harder, oftentimes these complaints are due to a lack of flexibility. Adaptability also means adapting to the personality and work habits of co-workers and supervisors. Each person possesses their own set or strengths and adapting personal behaviors to accommodate others is part of what it takes to work effectively as a team. By viewing change as an opportunity to complete work assignments in a more efficient manner, adapting to change can be a positive experience. New strategies, ideas, priorities, and work habits can foster a belief among workers that management and staff are both committed to making the workplace a better place to work. 5. Honesty and Integrity Employers value employees who maintain a sense of honesty and integrity above all else. Good relationships are built on trust. When working for an employer they want to know that they can trust what you say and what you do. Successful businesses work to gain the trust of customers and maintain the attitude that the customer is always right. It is the responsibility of each person to use their own individual sense of moral and ethical behavior when working with and serving others within the scope of their job.

6. Self Motivated Employers look for employees who require little supervision and direction to get the work done in a timely and professional manner. Supervisors who hire self-motivated employees do themselves an immense favor. For self-motivated employees require very little direction from their supervisors. Once a self-motivated employee understands his/her responsibility on the job, they will do it without any prodding from others. Employers can do their part by offering a safe, supportive, work environment that offers employees an opportunity to learn and grow. Working in a supportive work environment and taking the intitiative to be self-directive will provide employees with a better sense of accomplishment and increased self-esteem. 7. Motivated to Grow & Learn In an everchanging workplace, employers seek employees who are interested in keeping up with new developments and knowledge in the field. It has been noted that one of the top reasons employees leave their employers is the lack of opportunity for career development within the organization. Learning new skills, techniques, methods, and/or theories through professional development helps keep the organization at the top of its field and makes the employee's job more interesting and exciting. Keeping up with current changes in the field is vital for success and increased job security. 8. Strong Self Confidence Self-confidence has been recognized as the key ingredient between someone who is successful and someone who is not. A self confident person is someone who inspires others. A selfconfident person is not afraid to ask questions on topics where they feel they need more knowledge. They feel little need to have to impress others with what they know since they feel comfortable with themselves and dont feel they need to know everything. The self-confident person does what he/she feels is right and is willing to take risks. Selfconfident people can also admit their mistakes. They recognize their strengths as well as their weaknesses and are willing to work on the latter. Self-confident people have faith in themselves and their abilities which is manifested in their positive attitude and outlook on life. 9. Professionalism Employers value employees who exhibit professional behavior at all times. Professional behavior includes learning every aspect of a job and doing it to the best of ones ability. Professionals look, speak, and dress accordingly to maintain an image of someone who takes pride in their behavior and appearance. Professionals complete projects as soon as possible and avoid letting uncompleted projects pile up. Professionals complete high quality work and are detail oriented. Professional behavior includes all of the behavior above in addition to providing a positive role model for others. Professionals are enthusiastic about their work and optimistic about the

organization and its future. To become a professional you must feel like a professional and following these tips is a great start to getting to where you want to go. 10. Loyalty Employers value employees they can trust and who exhibit their loyalty to the company. Loyalty in the workforce has taken on a new meaning. Gone are the days when employees plan on starting out and retiring with the same company. It is said that most people will hold between 8 12 jobs throughout their career. What does this mean in terms of loyalty in todays workforce? Companies offering employee growth and opportunity will ultimately gain a sense of loyalty from their employees. Employees today want to feel a sense of satisfaction in their jobs and will do a good job when they feel that the employer is fair and wants to see them succeed. Although this may mean only staying for five or ten years in a position, employees can offer loyalty and make an important contribution during their time with the company. More companies today encourage employee feedback and offer employees an opportunity to lead in their area of expertise. This gives employees a greater sense of satisfaction and a sense of control over their job. Empowerment encourages employees to do their best work since companies are displaying a trust and expectation that they believe in their employees to do a good job. Offering jobs that encourage learning and the development of new skills also gives employees a sense of empowerment in the workplace. Aligning an employees values with the goals of the organization will foster loyalty and a bond between employer and employee. Fostering good relationships within an organization and offering constructive ways to handle conflict provides a win win situation for both employer and employee. Creating an organization that values loyalty within the organization can also work to its benefit by using the same techniques and strategies to establish loyalty with customers; and loyatly from customers ultimately makes for a successful business. Example of ethics Here are sixteen examples of employees failing to practice fundamental workplace ethics. As you review them, prepare to add your own examples.
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You are using the company restroom and use up the last roll of toilet paper, or the last piece of paper towel. Without thought for the needs of the next employee, you go back to work rather than addressing the issue.

You call in sick to your supervisor because its a beautiful day and you decide to go to the beach, or shopping, or

You engage in an affair with a coworker while married because no one at work will ever know, you think youre in love, you think you can get away with it, your personal matters are your own business, the affair will not impact other employees or the workplace, yada, yada, yada Right.

You place your dirty cup in the lunchroom sink. With a guilty glance around the room, you find no one watching and quickly leave the lunchroom.

Your company sponsors events, activities, or lunches and you sign up to attend and fail to show. Conversely, you fail to sign up and show up anyway. You make the behavior worse when you say that you took the appropriate action so someone else must have screwed up.

You tell potential customers that you are the vice president in charge of something. When they seek out the company VP at a trade show, you tell your boss that the customers must have made a mistake.

You work in a restaurant in which wait staff tips are shared equally and you withhold a portion of your tips from the common pot before the tips are divided.

You have sex with a reporting staff member and then provide special treatment to your flame. How about you just have sex, period? No impact? Ha!

You take office supplies from work to use at home because you justify, you often engage in company work at home, or you worked extra hours this week, and so on.

You spend several hours a day using your work computer to shop, check out sports scores, pay bills, do online banking, and surf the news headllines for the latest celebrity news and political opinions.

You use up the last paper in the communal printer and you fail to replace paper leaving the task to the next employee who uses the printer.

You hoard supplies in your desk drawer so you wont run out while other employees go without supplies they need to do their work.

You overhear a piece of juicy gossip about another employee and then repeat it to other coworkers. Whether the gossip is true or false is not the issue. Trust me.

You tell a customer or potential customer that your product will perform a particular action when you dont know if it will and you didnt check with an employee who does.

You allow a part that you know does not meet quality standards leave your work station and hope your supervisor or the quality inspector wont notice.

You claim credit for the work of another employee, or you fail to give public credit to a coworkers contribution, when you share results, make a presentation, turn in a report or in any other way appear to be the sole owner of a work product or results.