Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct. Sexual harassment is a serious problem in the workplace today. Recent surveys indicate that as many as three quarters of working women and men feel they have been sexually harassed. Sexual harassment causes low productivity, absenteeism, low morale, and employee turnover that can cost an average sized company millions of dollars a year, not including procedural and court costs. This paper provides an analysis of my workplace sexual harassment policy.

The policy defines an employer’s obligation is to observe sexual harassment before any act of sexual harassment occurs. It lays out the EEOC’s requirement for employers to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment before it occurs. However, there is no clear definition of a consensual work relationship or hostile work environment. A "hostile environment" is one that is so pervasive that it materially alters the terms and conditions of employment. It can occur where jokes, suggestive remarks, physical interference with movement (such as blocking one’s path), pictures, cartoon, or sexually derogatory comments alter the circumstances of the workplace.

The owner’s statement lacks a firm policy banning sexual harassment, and identifying himself as the person ultimately responsible for preventing harassment at the company. The policy is not even effectively communicated to the employees. So I think either people know about sexual harassment or their moral judgment is guiding them from falling into trouble.  With employment at-will, employees come and go with such frequency that teaching certain work principles is a waste of time.

The difficulty in differentiating between wholesome human romance and offensive sexual harassment is that it is always determined in retrospect, through a veil of human emotions, observations, and stereotypes. Is it sexual harassment to use a company's electronic mail system to ask a subordinate out on a date? Why is it the company's business if an associate manager and a waitress go out on dates over the weekend, and agree to keep their relationship out of the office? Doesn't it aid the workplace environment if a co-ed group of employees who all seem to appreciate jokes have a pattern of telling those jokes to each other in the office? While many frown on romance in the workplace, it is a fact of life. Indeed, I would suggest that it is an important and enduring reality and that, within bounds of propriety and good taste, romance in the workplace should be accepted rather than forbidden as long as it doesn’t interfere with employee’s job performance.

Society demands two mutually exclusive things from employers. First, the workplace has become a place where workers bring much of their personal lives, as a central point of their existence. However, the workplace environment is not permitted to cross an ill-defined line; if crossed, allegations of medical discrimination, age discrimination, sexual harassment, or other forms of unlawful conduct can be made. Employers must walk a tightrope between an emotionally rich environment and a legally prohibited one. A proper sexual harassment policy that is consistently enforced can help maintain that fine distinction.

Reference:
Boatright, John R. (2003). “Ethics and The Conduct of Business.” Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall