Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates state laws, such as California AB 1825, and the federal Title VII Civil Rights Act of 1964. Laws that prohibit sexual harassment are designed to protect the employee, employer, co-workers and customers. The victim or harasser can be male or female and can be of the same or opposite sex. Harassers can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a person who is not an employee like a client or customer. Additionally, the victim does not have to be the person harassed but someone affected by the offensive conduct.
The following constitute forms of sexual harassment:
- Unwelcome sexual advances,
- Requests for sexual favors,
- Verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature
Sexual harassment negatively affects working conditions and/or creates a hostile work environment; therefore, prevention is the best tool for the elimination of sexual harassment. Employers must take all steps necessary to prevent sexual harassment, including, but not limited to, training, developing workplace policies and complaint procedures and displaying anti-sexual harassment posters in areas where employees frequent. An extreme example of failure to prevent this type of gross misconduct was recently decided in an EEOC sexual harassment suit, Paul’s Big M. The potential for liability in a private civil matter is even greater. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Compliance Poster Company offers several products to assist employers in implementing an effective sexual harassment policy and complying with state and federal labor laws. Two of our best-selling products are the Sexual Harassment Prevention Poster and the Sexual Harassment Prevention Training DVD. Call one of our friendly Compliance Advisors for more information about these products.