MGT3045 WK2 Project
Sexual Harassment
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 also addressed the issue of sexual discrimination. This resulted in a series
of lawsuits �led by women to gain protection against sexual harassment in the workplace. The courts
mostly ruled in favor of these women. Since then, employees have been able to seek legal relief from
sexual harassment under the protection of the Civil Rights Act.
Sexual harassment is often less about sex and more about power. The abuse of power results in sexual
harassment. You may be familiar with stories of harassment, where the male boss pesters a female
subordinate for a date, or promises her a promotion in exchange for sexual favors. Men have also
become the victims of sexual harassment, either at the hands of women, or other men. The courts have
found that sexual harassment can occur not only between men and women, but also between two
women or two men.
There are two kinds of sexual harassment:
Quid Pro Quo refers to promising favorable treatment in exchange for some kind of sexual favor.
The phrase literally means “this for that.” This type of harassment is relatively easy to prove in
court. When people talk about sexual harassment, they are usually referring to quid pro quo.
Hostile Work Environment: Quid pro quo sexual harassment probably occurs less often than
does another type of harassment—hostile work environment. In a hostile work environment, the
harasser creates an unfavorable and sometimes distressing environment affecting an employee's productivity and behavior.
Companies may avoid liability by taking care to prohibit sexual harassment. This process is tied into
the af�rmative defense. Important elements of the af�rmative defense:
Establish a sexual harassment policy.
Communicate the policy regularly.
Train employees and managers on avoiding sexual harassment.
Investigate and take action when complaints are voiced. (Mathis, 2017, p. 100)
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the regulatory agency that oversees
complaints regarding sexual harassment. What constitutes sexual harassment as a violation under
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? How is sexual harassment investigated and prevented in the
workplace? Read the following from the U.S. EEOC.
Additional Materials
EEOC: Facts about Sexual Harassment (media/week2/SUO_MGT3045_W2%20L2.pdf?
_&d2lSessionVal=F4QPIlxC1x53HRXrSi4mpIFVi&ou=92916)