Employees should never experience sexual harassment on the job. This harassment could include lewd comments or jokes, unwanted touching or even quid pro quo harassment — where someone is offered certain benefits at work in exchange for a sexual relationship with someone else, usually a person who is higher up in the business hierarchy, such as a supervisor or a manager.
One important thing to remember about these sexual harassment cases is that the gender of the individuals involved does not make a difference. A victim could be male or female, as could a harasser. Moreover, there does not have to be a gender difference between the two individuals.
Breaking away from stereotypes
For example, when many people think of sexual harassment on the job, they first consider long-standing stereotypes. They imagine a male boss who commits sexual harassment against his female secretary, for example.
While it is certainly true that this could happen, it is very important to take all sexual harassment claims seriously. Often, power dynamics are more important than gender. A male worker may claim that he was being sexually harassed by his female boss, for example, if he was told he would be passed over for a promotion if he did not agree to certain sexual aspects of their relationship. In such a situation, the boss’s power over workers at a lower level in the business hierarchy is more important than any gender difference between the two individuals.
At the end of the day, sexual harassment cases can involve anyone and can be very complex. Employees who have experienced it need to know what legal options they have.