Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence Essay - 1416 Words

Harassment has plagued the world for centuries. Why should the workplace be any different? Sexual harassment and workplace violence are not only of historical roots, but contemporary issues are still present in the workforce today. Managers are addressing and combating modern sexual harassment and workplace violence, however instances still occur (Robbins, Decenzo Coulter, 2011). â€Å"Sexual harassment is defined as any unwanted action or activity of a sexual nature that explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, performance, or work environment† (Robbins, Decenzo Coulter, 2011). According to the EEOC, â€Å"Harassment can include â€Å"sexual harassment† or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other†¦show more content†¦The 1970’s began the dawn of sexual harassment law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, began being utilized by feminists, and lawyers during the 1970’s in order to defend the female victims of these sexual encounters. The challenge for lawyers and activists, such as Catharine MacKinnon and Lin Farley, was to persuade the American judiciary that sexual harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, â€Å"discrimination on the basis of sex† (Siegel, 2004). MacKinnon and Farley did their part in aiding in defining and a cknowledging sexual harassment in the American judiciary. During the 1970’s however, sexual harassment was met with resistance within the courts. The courts failure to recognize new sexual harassment by such tactical skewing of definitions into â€Å"sex-plus† doctrine retarded the advancement of sexual harassment law (Siegel, 2004). Supreme Court case Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson of 1986, and Harris v. Forklift Systems of 1993 are examples of a more recent judicial action that has helped shape the contemporary sexual harassment practice (Siegel, 2004). These mentioned two sexual harassment cases linked the unwanted sexual harassment to affecting the employee’s performance and work environment. Furthermore, no substantial victim mental distress is required to receive jury award (Robbins, Decenzo Coulter,Show MoreRelatedWhen Facing Sexual Harassment At Workplaces, What Options Do Employees Have? â€Å"Woman is the800 Words   |  4 Pages When Facing Sexual Harassment At Workplaces, What Options Do Employees Have? â€Å"Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacities. She has the right to participate in very minutest detail in the activities of man and she has an equal right of freedom and liberty with him.† - M K Gandhi, 1933 After years of being encapsulated in lifestyles and mindsets, compulsorily associating existence with men, women have now stepped forth to break the shackles of inequality and gender dominanceRead MoreThe Ethical Conduct Of The Physician Assistant1308 Words   |  6 PagesSafety (CCOHS) (2005), defines workplace violence as â€Å"any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment.†5 (p 254) There are five behavior components in workplace violence: Threatening behavior, verbal or written threats, harassment, and physical attacks. Threatening behavior includes â€Å"shaking fists, destroying property or throwing objects.†5 (p 254) Verbal threats reveal intent to inflict harm to another. Harassment encompasses behaviors that â€Å"demeansRead MoreSexual Harassment in the Workplace against Women1569 Words   |  6 Pagesstaffer was well known and the source of the office’s sexual jokes (Women’s Rights).† The main cause here is that supervisors are often perpetrators, and often are not qualified for their job title as they appear to be. â€Å"Sexual harassment in the workplace is only there because the people at the top condone it and maybe practice it themselves (Jim Vince).† There are two types of sexual harassment in the workplace. One type is Quid pro quo: Sexual harassment that occurs when a job benefit is linked to whetherRead MoreGender And Its Effects On Our Society Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesGender plays an important part in the way our society is shaped. Through examining gender-based inequalities in the public and in the workplace and this essay aims to visit some of the unfrequented borders of sexual violence, and to translate their effects on our society through the theme of differences and divisions. Sociologists assert that an individual’s sex can have significant disparity to their gender. Sex is defined by biological means including an individual’s anatomy that has been assignedRead MoreSexual Harassment : How Does It Differ From Bullying?891 Words   |  4 Pages1. What is sexual harassment? How does it differ from bullying? Sexual harassment is an unwanted attention that is sexual in nature. It can be a one-time occurrence or a result of repeated behaviour. In addition, harassment is viewed from the victim’s perspective and what the perceiver or affected individual would feel in the exact same situation. 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