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Women@Work

Sexual Harassment

It’s not the way a woman dresses or behaves that causes sexual harassment. It’s not her sensitivity to off-color jokes. It’s not even about office romances that have gone sour.

Sexual harassment in most cases is probably not even about sex. It’s more likely about power and control. It’s about intimidation. It’s about climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. The powerful prey on the less powerful. In 83 percent of the cases, the harasser is in a more powerful position than the one being harassed.

When perpetrated against women, it’s sometimes an attempt to remind them to keep their place—that place being defined by old cultural patterns, men’s fears, and an archaic business and economic structure.

Most of us, when harassed, try to pretend that it didn’t happen. We hope that if we ignore it, the problem will go away. It usually doesn’t! We must not underestimate the damage done by sexual harassment. It is devastating to a woman’s self-esteem, making her feel like a piece of meat rather than a valued employee. It can cause all kinds of stress-related illnesses such as chronic fatigue, headaches, sleeplessness, heart palpitations, colds, and even urinary tract infections.

Sexual harassment cannot be allowed to continue, first of all because it is wrong. Also, it is devastating to the woman who is involved, and is detrimental to the perpetrator and to the morale of the other workers.

First of all, try to prevent sexual harassment by saying no loudly and clearly. There can be no waffling, no teasing. Say no and mean it. Let the perpetrator know that if it happens again, you will turn his name in to the human resources department.

Of course, the problem may be complicated by the following situations:

• The harasser is your boss
• There is no human resources department
• There’s nowhere to turn him in
• Your job is on the line, and you need your job

If you are being harassed and there doesn’t seem to be any way to deal with it, at least document the problem. Write down or make a tape recording of what happened and when. Record conversations accurately—do it the same day of the incident so that your memory is fresh. Even if you do nothing with the accumulated documentation, it will give you a sense of taking control of the situation. And if you end up taking the case to the authorities, such documentation will be looked on favorably by the courts.

If you have been sexually harassed and decide to fight back, be warned that your particular workplace may not have caught up to life in the real world. Your company may not be aware of the seriousness of charges of sexual harassment.

There is a lot of information available about this subject. If you think sexual harassment is going on in your workplace, read all you can on the subject, and speak with your supervisor about the problem. If he/she refuses to act, then it’s time to consult with human resources. Ask for training on this subject to be made available for both men and women. Above all, keep trying to work through it.

Excerpted from Thriving As A Working Woman by Gwen Ellis. Reprinted with permission. Gwen may be reached at www.seasidecreativeservices.com

For more information, visit http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-sex.html

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