A Guide to Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Sexual harassment can create a toxic work environment, impacting employees' well-being and job performance. Unfortunately, sexual harassment is still a widespread issue in the workplace despite advances in protective procedures and laws.
This employer's guide to preventing sexual harassment will provide actionable strategies to create a safe workplace, offer training recommendations, and help establish clear policies for dealing with sexual harassment at work.
Sexual Harassment Definition
Sexual harassment is a type of discrimination or criminal act that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The US EEOC defines it as "unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that 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: The Statistics
In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received more than 7,700 charges of sexual harassment in the nation’s workplaces, the highest number in 12 years and up nearly 25% from the previous year. This indicates that this problem continues to affect both men and women.
What Constitutes Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment may be verbal, non-verbal, or physical, and may include:
Verbal
- Sexual jokes or innuendos
- Unwanted sexual comments or advances
- Pressure or threats for sexual favors or dates
- Sexually suggestive names
- Personal questions of a sexual nature
Non-Verbal
- Unwanted sexual looks or gestures
- Suggestive or sexual facial expressions
- Sexually suggestive visuals
- Consistent staring
- Whistling or catcalling
Physical
- Unwelcome deliberate touching
- Inappropriate touching or rubbing
- Cornering or leaning over someone
- Crowding personal space
- Following an individual or blocking their path
Types of Workplace Harassment
There are two types of sexual harassment from a legal standpoint: quid pro quo and hostile work environment.
- Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when vital workplace decisions are made based on a person's submission or rejection of an unwanted sexual advance or overture.
- A hostile work environment exists when unwelcome sexual advances create an offensive or intimidating working environment that directly affects an employee's ability to do their job.
Moreover, third-party sexual harassment, in which the person harassed or offended by a hostile work environment may not be the direct target or participant in the harassment itself, is also recognized in legal defense.
Workplace Sexual Harassment Statistics
To understand how common workplace sexual harassment is, let’s take a look at some statistics. Based on data from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), here are key statistics on workplace sexual harassment:
- In 2018, the EEOC received 7,609 sexual harassment charges, a 13.6% increase from 6,696 in FY 2017.
- In 2019, sexual harassment charges slightly decreased to 7,514, accounting for 10.3% of all charges filed.
- In 2020, the number of charges further declined to 6,587.
- In 2021, sexual harassment charges continued to decrease, totaling 5,581.
- In 2023, the EEOC received over 7,700 sexual harassment charges, the highest number in 12 years and nearly a 25% increase from the previous year.
- Between 2018 and 2021, women filed 78.2% of the 27,291 sexual harassment charges received. 43.5% of these charges included a concurrent retaliation claim.
- During the same period, the EEOC recovered nearly $300 million for individuals with sexual harassment claims through resolved charges and litigation, benefiting 8,147 people.
What Is the Impact of Sexual Harassment?
Here’s how the effects of workplace sexual harassment can profoundly affect individuals, organizations, and society at large:
Individual Impact
Victims often endure significant psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These mental health challenges can manifest physically through headaches, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The emotional turmoil may also lead to decreased self-esteem and a pervasive powerlessness.
Professional Consequences
In the workplace, sexual harassment undermines job satisfaction and performance. Victims may experience reduced motivation, difficulty concentrating, and increased absenteeism. The hostile environment often compels individuals to leave their positions, disrupting careers and leading to financial instability.
Professional consequences not only affect the victims but also result in increased turnover and training costs for employers.
Organizational and Societal Effects
Beyond individual repercussions, sexual harassment erodes workplace morale and productivity. It fosters a culture of fear and mistrust, diminishing overall organizational effectiveness. Companies may face legal liabilities, reputational damage, and financial losses.
On a broader scale, pervasive harassment contributes to systemic gender inequality, impeding societal progress toward equity and inclusion.
Preventing Sexual Harassment for Workplace Safety
Addressing sexual harassment is important to protect individuals' well-being, ensure healthy work environments, and promote a just society.
Fortunately, employers, managers, and top-tier supervisors can do several things to ensure workforce safety by effectively managing and preventing sexual harassment from taking place.
To do so, it’s necessary to adopt a strict workforce safety program with a strong sexual harassment policy in place, clearly identifying the acceptable and unacceptable behavioral parameters and the consequences, economic and legal, for sexual harassment complaints.
Creating a Harassment-Free Workplace With 360training’s Sexual Harassment Training for Employees
It’s essential to take sexual harassment seriously and take steps to prevent it from happening in the workplace.
Every single person at an organization needs to be well versed in the parameters of sexual harassment and workforce safety, which means organizing mandatory workforce safety training, such as the Preventing Sexual Harassment course or the Harassment and Discrimination for Employees course offered by 360training.
These courses are great resources that educate and train everyone in the organization, from employees to managers and supervisors, to handle and avoid unwanted sexual advances effectively.
With a solid sexual harassment policy, vigilant monitoring of the workplace, and the right training, we can create a safer and healthier work environment for all.
