The act of sexual harassment is one, out of many, of the sub-structures which form employment discrimination. The effects of this crippling reality can be ravaging to an organization, to the individual harassed, fellow employees, and the alleged harasser. The actions of sexual intercourse aren't necessarily the basis of sexual harassment; however, the action of POWER is. The power to subdue, either physical or behavioral, making that person feel uncomfortable, can be critiqued as sexual harassment.
The term "sexual harassment" was first devised in the United States, in the Netherlands it's known as "unwanted intimacy," in Italy it's called "sexual molestation," and in France it's construed as "sexual blackmail" (Rubenstein, pg. 7). The United States' Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines sexual harassment as unwelcoming sexual advances (requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature) when: (1) submission to such a conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment (29CFR1604.11).
Sexual harassment can occur between the individuals of the opposite sexes; as well as, the same sexes, whether they have equal power (such as between co-workers) or unequal power (such as between employer, supervisor, manager, and employee).
There are two forms of sexual harassment: quid pro quo an ...