Free Essay on Sexual Harassment at the Work Place

Ethics are defined as the various guidelines that the individuals must adhere to when they carry out their activities. These ethics within the organization may be aid to be the pillars that determine how the various stakeholders within the organization relate with each other (International Trade Union Confederation, 2008). How they relate will be governed by various issues, which in most instances will either be due to external or internal factors. So how these individuals carry out their activities will at times reciprocate in the productivity of the organization as a whole. This essay will tend to answer the question, sexual harassment cases within the organization tends to affect the productivity of the organization and the organization will always have to address adequately address it in order to combat it effectively.

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Sexual harassment is defined as the inappropriate and unwarranted sexual conducts which make an individual either intimidated or offended. This harassment may either be by inappropriate physical conduct or at times the harassment may be in the form of verbal statements (Beijing Zhongze Womens Legal Consultation and Service Center, 2010). In an organization, each and every individual is always required to treat his or her fellow colleagues with utmost respect and provide an environment that they can ultimately work to produce the best they can. However, instance of sexual harassment tend to undermine this issue. When it occurs, sexual harassment will tend to have a negative impact on the victim and the organization as a whole. This is due to the fact that its occurrence tends to demoralize the victim together with the loss of trust between the various colleagues (Ceconi, 2015). This lack of trust and lack of moral will tend to lead to the reduction in the productivity of the organization.

For an organization to effectively give the best in terms of its productivity, then the various stakeholders from the management down to the subordinate staff must trust each other and be motivated as they carry out their activities. This motivation is always said to be the fuel of progress within an organization and when an employee is sexually harassed then the motivation levels tend to decrease, leading to them being not performing as desired. At times sexual harassment tends to be visible in instances that one makes a statement that is hurtful to a particular gender (International Trade Union Confederation, 2008). This statement will lead to tension to brew within the organization, which then leads to lack of cooperation amongst the colleagues which then negates the productivity of the organization as a whole.

In the case of Wisconsin sexual harassment suit, it was held that the issue of the complainant in the matter continuously being touched inappropriately by her supervisor amounted to instances of sexual harassment and hence the company was required to pay her $120,000 as damages (Wells Media Group, 2015). In addition to this, in the case of Alexandra Marchuk V Faruqi&Faruqi, LLP, it was held that by the fact that one of the partners touched her breasts and kissed her involuntarily at the companys party amounted to sexual harassment. From these two instances it is clear that sexual harassment can occur both in the office but also in the events that the organization organizes. This in turn means that the organization will in most instances be liable for the sexual harassment suits (Wells Media Group, 2015).

The learned Judge in the Wisconsin matter held that the company or organization is always obliged to have in place measures that will be able to combat the issue of sexual harassment at its premises. This includes having in place strict rules that keep the workers relationships to always be professional at the work place. This may be by them having in place the rules clearly being set out in the organizations rule book or constitution (Ceconi, 2015).

Lastly, in order to be able to avoid various instances of sexual harassment at the organization, it can take various steps. These may include; educating the members of the organization of what constitutes to sexual harassment, their rights and how to tackle it. Further, the organization can help tackle this issue by having in place strict rules that prohibit various conducts that may lead to cases of sexual harassment, such as abusive languages and even posting photographs that are sexually suggestive (Ceconi, 2015). This is since; having in place set standards will make it easier for the organization to stop this issue of sexual harassment amongst its employees or within its premises. In addition to this the organization must have in place clearly set medium that will enable to victims to be able to report these instances if they occur and further have in place rules that will assure them that they will not be punished if they report the matter (Beijing Zhongze Womens Legal Consultation and Service Center, 2010).

In conclusion, sexual harassment is a negative internal kind of relationship that develops within the organization and it is best handled by having in place measures that would prevent it from occurring.

References

Beijing Zhongze Womens Legal Consultation and Service Center. (2010). Guide on Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the work place. Interantional Labour Organization, 3-20.

Ceconi, T. (2015, April 9). Sexual Harassment at Workplace. Retrieved June 18, 2016, from Hr360: http://blog.hr360.com/hr-blog/sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace

International Trade Union Confederation. (2008). Stopping Sexual Harassment at Work. International Trade Union Confederation, 2-11.

Wells Media Group. (2015, August 15). Wisconsin Company to Pay $120K in Sexual Harassment Case. Retrieved June 17, 2016, from Insurance Journal: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2015/08/19/379046.htm