As an employee, you have the right to enjoy your workplace. Facing sexual harassment is a nightmare for many. And yet, some people have to put up with the harassment. If you find yourself in this situation, then Charlotte, NC sexual harassment lawyers are your saviour.
It is not only women who experience sexual harassment at work, but males are also subject to sexual harassment in many ways. “Quid pro quo” and “Hostile Work Environment” are the two types of sexual harassment according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Let us learn about them in detail.
Quid pro quo
Quid pro quo is a Latin phrase that means ‘something for something.’ It refers to the demand for sexual favours in exchange for any benefit (promotion, increase in pay, etc.)
The quid pro quo harassment perpetrator is typically a person with power or authority over another, like a supervisor or manager. A favour exchange does not require explicitly stated; it can be implied or even suggested. A few examples of quid pro quo are as below:
- Delaying a pay raise or promotion until the candidate agrees to give sexual advances.
- Threatening for termination of the job if sexual acts are not provided.
- Asking for sexual advances for hiring, promotions, or other employment-related opportunities.
- Coercing an employee to tolerate the sexual acts.
Hostile work environment
This type of harassment creates a hostile work environment through demeaning conduct or speech practices that negatively affect employees’ job performance. This type of harassment creates a hostile work environment through degrading conduct or speech practices that negatively affect employees’ job performance. Unlike the former harassment, a perpetrator can be anyone in this type of harassment, as a peer, superior, client, contractor, or vendor. Also, there is not only a single victim in this type of harassment; anyone suffering in a hostile work environment could be a victim.
Workplaces with hostile work environments are harder to identify since an individual comment or event may not be severe, demeaning behaviour may occur that does not relate to sex, and there may be long gaps between offensive incidents. Sexual harassment examples that may create a hostile work environment include lewd gestures, sexual remarks/jokes, inappropriate touching, etc. More examples of sexual harassment creating a hostile work environment are:
- Sending texts, images, memos, or emails with sexual innuendo.
- Offensive comments or jokes, which are sexual, graphic, or crude in nature.
- Unwanted physical touching like groping, touching, rubbing, or hugging.
