powerless. Employers are responsible for actions of all employees even if they are unaware of the behavior. Employers will also be liable is if they fail to take appropriate action within its control once it knows or has reason to know of the harassing. They cannot claim they did not know because the employee did not tell them. There is no such thing as taking “no action”. Doing nothing can have huge legal consequences.When an employee reports a case of harassment the company must not tell the victim to ignore the comments or propositions. Joking about the situation is out of the question too. Why, when people think of sexual harassment, they assume it is always between a male and female? Same sex harassment should not be overlooked either. Sexual orientation of either party should not be an issue when investigating complaints. A male/female could tell jokes or make remarks to offend someone of the same sex. And with the increase number of gays in lesbians in the workplace, this kind of harassment is bound to occur. Managers need to avoid making excuses for the harasser. No suggestions to “get even” shall be made. Punishment for the harasser should come into play. Such as a verbal or written warning, job transfer, suspension of employment, or, if needed termination.In almost all cases, people have endured very negative effects. Guilt, mental anguish, and self-doubt top the list of emotional effects on victims. They have to deal with other trauma as well. This can consist of a higher rate of absenteeism, a decline in productivity, a loss of friends and self-esteem, and family problems. The employee may change their shopping habits; their sexual desire may decrease. These factors can take their toll on employers too. If a victim misses work they are losing out on that person’s productivity, which in the long run, means lower revenue. Health-care costs, poor moral, employee turnover, litig...
