Sexual Harassment
December 2017
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment,unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
Sexual harassment can take many forms. The following list is not all-inclusive and is shown only to provide examples:
- Posting emails or pictures of a sexually related nature.
- Repeated requests for dates that are turned down.
- Unwanted flirting.
- Any physical contact such as grabbing an employee around the waist, patting a coworker’s back, or interfering with an employee’s ability to get around the workplace.
- Playing sexually suggestive music.
- Unwanted jokes, gestures, offensive words on clothing.
Employees may not be disciplined, demoted, or terminated because they:
- Reported in good faith an incident of sexual misconduct
- Participated in an investigation of a sexual misconduct claim
Retaliation is prohibited. There must be a zero tolerance policy for anyone who retaliates against a person for bringing a sexual misconduct issue to the company’s attention.
Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment
- Respect the rights, values, dignity, and culture of others.
- Conduct oneself in a professional manner.
- Refrain from making, and/or participating in, any jokes, language, conversation, or physical action which others may find offensive.
- Even though a comment or joke is not intended to be malicious, it is the perception one develops from the joke or comment that others may consider offensive.
Sexual Harassment Compliance Management:
- DO THE RIGHT THING.
- Be familiar and comply with laws, rules, regulations, and policies regarding sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, including the Code of Conduct.
- Report any sexual harassment and/or discrimination violations immediately.
- Cooperate with any inquiry into the facts.
