Instances of sexual harassment can sometimes lurk under the guise of harmless, playful flirtation. For example Lindsey Chamerlain and colleagues recall the incident of a manger photographing underneath a female employee's skirt. The employee noted chasing the manager to his office to express her anger while the manager dismissed the incident as a funny prank in August 2008 in "Work and Occupations."
Policy
Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, sexual harassment is considered a form of sex-based discrimination covered by Title VII, according to Justine Tinkler and colleagues in 2007 in the "Social Psychology Quarterly." Consequently, most organizations have adopted an anti-sexual harassment policy to protect employees, as the researchers note. They also discuss that for policies to be the most effective, training attempts should address the underlying beliefs related to gender. Specifically, status beliefs, which are essentially the holding of white males in higher esteem than people of other categories, such as minorities and women, need to be eradicated. Such beliefs tend to leave the vulnerable individuals at risk for being sexually harassed. Training should also help employees overcome gender-based expectation stereotypes, such as the belief of how women perform in the workplace. This is also a consideration for sexual harassment policy and training, as the researchers note.
Definition
Although there is no universally excepted standard, the definition for sexual harassment in the workplace includes sex-related objects, pictures, comments and gestures, and a whole range of behaviors leading to forced sexual contact, as Chamberlain and colleagues note.
Outcomes
Some of the negative circumstances caused by stress are increased mental and physical stress, and less satisfaction with work and colleague, as Chamberlain and the researchers note. It also hits the bottom line of the company. Tardiness, absenteeism and turnover are all heightened by the prevalence of sexual harassment, the researchers further explain. Therefore, there are benefits to the employee and organization to prevent sexual harassment.
Causes
According to Chamberlain and colleagues, one of the contributing factors to workplace sexual harassment pertains to the organizational climate, or the norms and attitudes embraced through the work culture. The researchers note that a company may have a social environment that is patriarchal and has gender expectations. This particular organizational culture is known to affect how men interact with women in the workplace, they cite. Also, this environment affected women's reactions to sexual harassment incidents, as the researchers explain.
Considerations
With organizational policies, little protection may be afforded to the victim. Specifically, a policy may protect against sexual-oriented behaviors, but it may also leave a gap in protecting against sexist behaviors, as Chamberlain and associates note. Therefore, consideration should be given to how broad a policy is in its ability to cover sexual harassment in whatever form it may exist.
References
- "Work and Occupations"; Sexual Harassment in Organizational Context. Lindsey Joyce Chamberlain et al.; August 2008
- "Social Psychology Quarterly"; Can Legal Interventions Change Beliefs? The Effect of Exposure to Sexual Harassment Policy on Men's Gender Beliefs; Justine Eatenson Tinkler, Yan E. Li, & Stafanie Mollborn; 2007
Member Comments