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Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Rules & Resources

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Post a succinct easy-to-read summary report on your issue. The report must include the following components:
Brief description of the law or issue (and who is affected/covered by it), using simple language and your own words.
Well supported explanation of how and why this legal issue is important for you and your colleagues as current or future managers.
Brief discussion of at least one potential ethical concern associated with this law or legal issue, including your reasoning and a specific illustrative example.
Analysis of the implications for managers/leaders and their organizations if the law or legal issue is not adequately understood, prevented and/or properly managed. Include here issues related to trust if applicable.
A set of well supported practical recommendations you can use yourself or give to a new manager. Each recommendation must be derived from your earlier discussion. Incorporate attention to justice rules (see Colquitt et al, Table 7-2) as appropriate.
Reliable resources managers might consult should they confront this issue. This might include journal articles and government documents or Websites.

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Solution Summary

This detailed solution provides a brief description of the laws regarding sexual harassment, and includes examples. It gives a potential ethical concern in regards to the law, gives analysis of the implications for managers and their organizations, and gives a set of well supported practical recommendations to help managers follow and understand the law as well as reliable resources managers might consult should they confront this issue. It includes links and examples.

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Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that affects an individual's employment or interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an unpleasant, offensive, or hostile work environment. Sexual harassment applies to women and men, and the victim does not have to be of the opposite sex. The harasser may be the victim's supervisor, co-worker, or a non-employee. The victim does not have to have been the person harassed but can be anyone affected by the offensive conduct. Harassment does not need to include economic injury or termination of the victim. The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome (http://archive.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html).

This issue is key to current and future managers because it is a serious, growing problem that can have legal and financial implications to the organization. Employers are liable if sexual misconduct is made as a term or condition of employment or forms a basis for employment decisions affecting the individual. In addition, employers are liable if they are aware or should have been aware of sexual misconduct creating a hostile environment, and they fail to take corrective action. In addition to litigation costs and court -awarded damages sexual harassment cases cost organizations productivity, good will, employee morale, and reputation. Victims of sexual harassment can collect back pay, lost wages, be reinstated to jobs, and also receive compensatory and punitive damages up to $300,000(http://www3.uakron.edu/lawrev/robert1.html).

A concern with sexual harassment would be not responding to inappropriate conduct or actions could result in much larger issues, like violence in the workplace. Should a manager or organization fail to address sexual harassment satisfactory either the harasser or the victim may be incited to violence (the harasser as a way to further exude pressure on the victim, and the victim as a form of retribution.). At our local community college a young girl was having a relationship with her supervisor that turned violent once she decided to terminate the affair. The girl was found murdered, and her former supervisor is now in jail. This addresses the crucial need for managers to understand sexual harassment ...

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  • Ed.D, Boise State University
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