Sexual Harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies to workplaces—private or public, as well as non-profits—that employ over 15 people.
2. Sexual Harassment is a violation of Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies
to workplaces—private or public, as well as
non-profits—that employ over 15 people.
Equal Employment
Opportunity
Commission
3. Circumstances involving sexual
harassment:
• When a colleague or boss (of same or opposite sex)
makes verbal and physical sexual advances, jokes,
comments about your physical appearance, and
“indecent proposals” to you and that affects your
employment and level of confidence at work
• You have witnessed a form of sexual harassment done
to a colleague or done by a colleague to a noncolleague and are extremely disturbed and affected by
it.
University of California Policy on Sexual Harassment
4. What makes it sexual
harassment?
• It’s unlawful;
• It’s unwelcome;
• It’s offensive
5. How to nip sexual harassment
in the bud?
• Victim should tell harasser
that act is offensive and to
stop it
• Victim should register a
complaint following the
employer’s complaint system
6. How does the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission help?
• The EEOC investigates sexual harassment based
on the following factors:
• circumstances or context when the harassment was
made
• nature of sexual advances made
*Note that the allegations vary depending on the
facts of each case.
Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
7. What should employers do to
prevent sexual harassment?
• According to the EEOC, prevention is a company’s best tool
to eradicate sexual harassment at work. What form of
prevention? Sexual harassment training.
• Effectively communicating what actions should be avoided
and cannot be tolerated is the obligation of every employer
of American workplaces. Employers should make it a point
to regularly train employees on sexual harassment and to
implement an easy and streamlined complaint system, to
which they’ll take immediate actions.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
8. Employer Retaliation
• It is illegal and discriminatory to retaliate against
victims of sexual harassment, as well as those who
have testified or participated in any trial or
investigation. Forms of retaliation include preventing
them from promotions, firing, or treating an
employee badly that his or her work performance is
affected.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
9. Cost of Sexual Harassment
• Sexual harassment is a big liability for any business.
It costs businesses hundreds of thousands of
dollars in settlement. Legal fees alone cost about
$100,000.
• Federal law settlement cap: $300,000; State law
cap: can reach up to seven figures
Ex. UBS Financial Services, which was required to
pay a settlement of over $10 million to a sales
employee harassed by a superior
The Fiscal Times
10. More Sexual Harassment Facts
• 11,300 sexual harassment complaints in
2011;
• 1,400 of the complaints received were settled
with a total fee of $52 million
• 70 percent of workers do not report sexual
harassment complaints
The Fiscal Times
The Huffington Post
11. What are the benefits of sexual
harassment training?
• Legal and regulatory compliance: States like Maine,
California and Connecticut require supervisory level
workers to undergo at least two hours of sexual
harassment training annually. Sexual harassment
training trains HR managers and personnel on how
to establish a sexual harassment/grievance
reporting program.
360training.com
12. • A safe and productive workplace: No
harassment, no drama. Workers will feel
enabled to do their best at work and protect
themselves from harassment.
360training.com
13. Purpose of Retraining
• Two hours of retraining is mandated by law
for supervisory employees, two years
following their initial training.
University of California Policy on Sexual
Harassment