Sexual harassment in the workplace

Behaviour of a sexual nature which is unwanted, unwelcome and unreciprocated, and which might threaten job security or create a stressful or intimidating working environment, is sexual harassment in the working place. It ranges from comments, looks, jokes, suggestions, pin-ups or physical contact from touching and pinching to buggery and rape. It is not only physical but mental aimed at breaking down resistance to advances and destroying self confidence over time. An employee continually asked for a date with a fellow employee of another sex may comply out of exhaustion or believing this will stop the requests. Not only does sexual harassment cause devastating economic, psychological and physical on its victims but also enormous cost to the employer. Personnel who leave to avoid harassment must be replaced. Health benefits are used more because of emotional and physical stress. Individual and workgroup productivity declines.

Collusion in sexual harassment can be done by creating or participating in a working environment that that is intimidating, hostile or offensive towards anyone on the grounds of their sex. A company which allows lewd or obscene behaviour or remarks on a day to day basis is encouraging an atmosphere in which members of the opposite sex are continually annoyed because of their sex.

In the USA the percentage of working women who have been harassed on the job range from 10% to 50% with most studies ranging around 20% to 30%. Less than 10% of all incidents involve women harassing men or harassment by the same sex. In a survey of employees of the USA federal government 42% of women say they had been sexually harassed during the previous two years. Significantly only 5% of those harassed filed complaints. Some 14% of the men say they had been harassed.

In a survey—which included an equal percentage of men and women—of employees of Japanese government agencies, 17% of female employees said their male bosses had demanded sexual relations, and 6.2% were raped or suffered sexual violence. More than 70% of the women said they were subjected to sexual jokes, and 67% said they were victims of unwanted physical contact.