Office Of Risk Management/Loss Prevention Unit
PREVENTING
HARASSMENT
IN THE WORKPLACE
PRETEST
1.
A hostile environment allows the agency to get
more work completed. T or F
2. I am not responsible for a hostile environment. T or F
3.
Being a male, a female can not cause me to have a
hostile environment. T or F
4. Only the supervisor(s) will have to go to court over a
hostile environment law suit. T or F
5. Diversity in the work place is not important to the
A hostile work environment
serves no good purpose.
AND it interferes with
The prevention/
elimination of harassment is
Y
responsibility.
LEARN what to do.
.
Or worse
The next
COURT
case.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Realize the importance of agency policies
and the law.
For every state employee to KNOW
they
have a right to work in a respectful
environment.
Cause selfexamination of attitudes, beliefs,
and actions toward those who are different.
Know the different types of harassment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES cont.
Understand whose job it is to
STOP
harassment.
Understand what is expected when
harassment occurs.
Know HOW to deal with harassment
when it happens.
Everyone should be familiar with the
legal consequences of
harassment.
If you are not
PLEASEseek assistance from your agency
in reviewing the laws.
AGENCY POLICIES REGARDING
TYPES OF HARASSMENT MUST
INCLUDE:
•
Departmental philosophy
•
Responsibilities
•
Types of harassment
•
Reporting procedures
•
Consequences
Just WHAT type
behavior is unacceptable
in the workplace?
There is no clear answer
to this question.
What is the most
common type of
workplace?
SEXUAL
HARASSMENT
TYPES OF
HARASSMENT
QUID PRO QUO HARASSMENT
Example:
A supervisor demands sexual favors in
return for better treatment of a subordinate,
or threatens the subordinate with firing,
demotion, or transfer unless sexual favors
are given
.
Blatant
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT HARASSMENT
Example:
If behavior of a sexual nature creates an
offending, intimidating, or hostile work
environment for another employee, it is
sexual harassment.
Less obvious, but often the foundation for
charges of sexual harassment.
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT HARASSMENT
Courts are likely to find an illegal hostile
work environment where there is:
Pornography
Vulgar Language
Sexual Touching
Degrading Comments
Embarrassing
Questions
Sexual Jokes
Sexual Propositions
SAMESEX HARASSMENT
Male harassment on another male, or female
harassment on another female.
In 1998 the Supreme Court stated that
samesex harassment is illegal and will
not be tolerated.
NONEMPLOYEE HARASSMENT
Sexual harassment OTJ by a nonemployee,
e.g.
Vendors, Customers or Visitors is NOT
excusable behavior.
Harassment OTJ by a nonemployee CAN
lead to sexual harassment charges, just as
sexual harassment by an employee would.
THIRDPARTY HARASSMENT
Behavior not found offensive by some
employees can facilitate an offensive
environment for other employees.
Example:
A group of employees talking about each
’
person who feels very uncomfortable about
such discussion.
OTHER TYPES OF HARASSMENT
Other types of harassment are equally
unacceptable with equally serious consequences:
Race
Religion
National Origin
Age
Disability
Sexual Orientation
Pregnancy
Political Affiliation
Physical Appearance
The workplace should be a respectful place.
We spend a significant amount of time in
OUR workplace.
Many of our jobs are already stressful without
the added stress of harassment.
A
Respectful
Workplace
No one wants to work in an environment
where he or she feels harassed and
uncomfortable.
Why Respectful Behavior?
Respectful behavior facilitates more
productive employees.
Disrespectful, harassing behavior can cost
the perpetrator their job.
Studies found 50% of sexual harassment
cases coworkers or peers were the alleged
harassers.
Why Respectful Behavior?
Only 26 % involved the immediate supervisor.
The 1991 amendment to
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of
1964
allows victims to recover punitive damages.
Harassment lawsuits usually have personal legal & financial
consequences for the harasser.
Stop
harassment
before it
starts.
The best thing would be:
EQUALITY
ACCEPTING DIFFERENCES
APPRECIATING
DIVERSITY
THE
RESPECTFUL
WORKPLACE
The Building Blocks
VIDEO
Valuing Diversity
at the
Interpersonal Level
How do
WE
stop
disrespectful
behavior?
S
T
O
P
S
ource
T
O
P
The source of the disrespectful
behavior has the responsibility
to stop behaving in such a manner.
What about US. Are we part of
the problem? Have we added to
the disrespectful behavior?
S
T
arget
O
P
The
target
must help confront the
Harassment/harasser!
I’
actions or words, we need to let
them know and ask them to stop.
S
T
arget
O
P
Consider this:
How can this person correct his or
her behavior if he or she is
unaware
of its impact?
The source of the disrespectful
behavior
may not even know that
his or her behavior is offensive to us
.
S
T
O
bserver
P
Those who
observe
disrespectful or
harassing behavior have a responsibility
notices
such is NEVER an innocent
bystander!
It is simply the right thing to do.
S
T
O
P
erson in authority
Every person in authority has a duty
to keep the workplace free from
offensive and harassing behavior.
creating a respectful workplace.
S
ource
T
arget
O
bserver
P
erson
in authority
HOW you say it
Before you say it!
I have read and understand the training information provided on Preventing
Harassment in the Workplace. I acknowledge that revisions to the training material
may be required periodically.
Employee Signature ______________________________________
Employee Printed Name ___________________________________
Date_________________________
Delgado Community College
Preventing Harassment in the Workplace
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