| Sexual harassment is harassment of a sexual nature, typically in the
workplace or other setting where raising objections or refusing may have negative consequences. In American employment law, it is any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct on the job, having the
effect of making the workplace intimidating, hostile or offensive. Sexual
harassment is considered a form of illegal discrimination. To be considered sexual harassment, the harassment must impact individuals of a specific
sex in a discriminatory manner
(see
article (http://www.epexperts.com/news_index826.html)) (Article checked on
August 15, 2004.)
The definition of the phrase sexual harassment can be broad and controversial, depending on each individual's opinion
of what sexual harassment is. While typical sexual harassment behaviour usually includes unwanted touching of a co-worker's private parts, lewd
comments, talk about gender superiority, sexual jokes, etc., some companies have reported that they have had to fire employees
(after a co-worker had complained of sexual harassment) for such actions as telling the complaining co-worker how good he
or she looks for that co-worker's date with another person, or for simply handling what seemed, to the fired employee, to be just
a harmless compliment. Although not always meant to, such comments may sound rude or amount to sexual harassment, depending on
context.
Probably the best definition of sexual harassment is sexual behaviour which the person doing it reasonably should have known
was unwanted/likely to be unwanted and distressing. Also sexual behaviour which the person doing it failed to stop after it
became clear that the person on the receiving end did not like it.
Two forms of sexual harassment have been defined:
The concept of sexual harassment has both colloquial and legal meanings. Many more people believe they have experienced sexual
harassment than have a solid legal case against the accuser. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has pointed out that sexual
harassment is not a freestanding tort, but is only, in its legal sense, a subcategory of employment discrimination.
For many businesses, preventing sexual harassment and defending its managerial employees from sexual harassment charges have
become key goals of human resources and legal decision-making.
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