Sexual harassment policy in the United States has taken
an active approach toward eliminating sexual harassment. Harassment in the
workplace occurs enough that the implementation of a policy against it has been
created. The Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of the United States works to ensure that harassment in the workplace is
against the law.
Since the guidelines against harassment in the workplace
have been enforced, the rate at which people have been harassed has decreased.
Sexual harassment policies exist in almost all businesses throughout the United
States today. Some states even require that businesses have a sexual harassment
policy in order to operate.
The problem of harassment in the workplace happens for
many reasons. Most work environments require that individuals work among each
other for a long period of time. This closeness can promote people to cross
boundaries that they would not normally cross. The area of professionalism can
sometimes turn gray when employees are placed in situations where they depend
on a person to be successful.
For example, a secretary to a busy executive often
carries a lot of the executive’s weight and without the secretary, an
executive oftentimes cannot function. This relationship may cause a lapse in judgment from either one of the individuals and the mutual respect can
be quickly turn into harassment.
Other reasons harassment in the workplace occur are
because of superiority issues. If a person feels that they have power and
control over an individual and their job, sexual harassment may take place.
The existence of a sexual harassment policy does not
always stop a person from harassing another in the workplace. A harasser may be
having personal issues and act stupidly toward an employee at the wrong time.
Nevertheless, that victim has the right to report it if they feel violated.
Typically, harassment in the workplace occurs against
women. The difference in statistics between men and women is drastic, with women
harassment statistics reaching the high thirtieth percentile out of all women.
Men harassment statistics do not reach into the double digits at all. There are
theories to support this notion that attribute harassment cases to those
between superiors and subordinates. Men are overwhelmingly the ones in superior positions throughout the
American workforce. Women supervisors, however, are also harassed in the workplace.
To crack down on sexual harassment, Government organizations exist on local, state, and Federal levels. The EEOC is the most prominent governmental force that
protects individuals in the employment sector.
