Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Business Sexual Harrasment in the Workplace Sexual Harrasment in the Workplace Sexual Harassment in the workplace is something so common, but ironically pushed aside which results in serious legal matter. What is sexual harassment? Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also takes the form of unsolicited sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment that interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment results in poor performance and lack of motivation. Organizations should have a policy that will not cause any confusion. A clear and concise policy will prevent any unnecessary legal actions. The organization can benefit from it both by being cost effective and efficient in the future. Once policy are set in stone and the employees are aware and have a thorough understanding there should be no According to statistic’s it is proven that sexual harassment occurs more with women. To the women the issue is more present, while the man may find it hard to understand why the issue is stressed to be so important. Often, men who do not behave in a harassing way may fail to or even admit that the issue exists. Sexual harassment cases can be very unfair when being put under a microscope by judges, managers and supervisors. It can be a potential serious consequence to both the victim and the organization. If the problem is detected at an earlier stage then the actions taken can most likely be sensitive to the victim and the organization resulting in With diversity in the work force growing so rapidly the differences in the lifestyles and personal ethics the organization cannot afford to rely on an unwritten policy. The organization must realize that complaints will be made and it should not be handled lightly. Organizations should periodically update their policies reflecting the current times and situations. It should be mandatory to implement sexual harassment polices and brief the employees of such policies. On the other hand sexual harassment can be blown out of proportion. Some complaints that are made are not always reasonable. An extensive investigation should be done to make sure that it is legit and the complaint is not unfair. Perception from the receiver may be distorted from the actual meaning. Some ways to determine the complaint is really constituted as a complaint are: 1. See if the behavior or act is constructed to be unwelcome, offensive or intimidating. 2. Make sure that there is a trend of the same or numerous complaints being reported. 3. Confirm that there was any implied or expressed sexual favors concerning the job retention, promotion or any other issues benefiting the organization. The best way to avoid sexual harassment in the work environment is prevention. Employers are encouraged to take necessary steps to prevent sexual harassment from occurring. These steps should clearly communicate to the employees that sexual harassment will not be tolerated (zero tolerance). This can be done by establishing an effective complaint or grievance process and taking immediate and appropriate actions. There are many steps that can be approached to prevent sexual harassment. Some of 1. Acknowledge the fact that there may be an issue of sexual harassment lingering in the work environment. Make the situation aware to all employee’s and reiterate the 2. Make a checklist that specifically is designed to show that there are signs of sexual harassment. Ensure that the employee who has been performing poorly has been 3. Make a “safe haven” for these victims. Make the employees feel as if they can express a problem without being intimidated or scared. At the same time make sure that they are protected so the situation is not elevated. 4. Establish procedures to handle the issue and give the accused enough time to respond to the accusation immediately. Due process must be provided to the accused as it is 5. Set up specific steps in ensuring that the victims are being punished in a progressive These implementations may not prevent the situation, but it does let the employees know that the organization does make an effort to correct such poor actions taken. Sexual harassment still and will always remain a constant occurrence in the work environment because of the subjective aspect of the person’s perception. With the efforts of the organization to create and implement clear and concise policies employees can feel satisfied with the work environment. It is up to the organization to detect and prevent the problem before it becomes serious. Bibliography: Word Count: 783
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