Your time at your workplace should be about productivity, not about dealing with unwanted requests for sex in the workplace. If your co-workers or boss is making inappropriate comments or sexual advances at you then the law is on your side. There are safeguards in place to prevent you from sexual harassment in the workplace. These protections protect people regardless of gender and regardless of who approaches them with an unwelcome request for sex at their workplace.
Sexual harassment can cover many different types of situations and activities. Victims can sue in civil court for restitution. Generally, for there to be a sexual harassment case, there has to be a lack of consent on the part of the victim.
It takes courage to file a sexual harassment claim to try and stop that kind of abuse. But filing a complaint with your human resources department does not always mean that your problems are solved. Aggressors can sometimes gain confidence when you file a complaint and nothing happens. It is important to stand your ground and make sure aggressors knows that their behavior is not acceptable. Sometimes you need help to do that.
No one wants to be put in a position where they dread going to work because of the irresponsible actions of others. When sexual harassment in any form happens in the workplace, you should understand that you have options for handling the situation. If there is a coworker who is constantly making sexual advances towards you, then that is sexual harassment and these are options you should pursue.
In any sort of interpersonal communication situation, things can get out of hand if improper assumptions are constantly being made. Just because someone holds the door open for you at a shopping mall does not automatically mean that they are petitioning you for sexual favors. Instead of generalizing the things people say or do under the heading of sexual harassment, it is best to understand what harassment is and how the laws apply.
In the workplace, as in life, it is important to have respect for the people that you deal with. Disrespect in the workplace can create an unpleasant working environment and negatively affect the careers of staff members. A person who engages in sexual harassment is showing a lack of respect for the people with whom they work, and even for themselves. When it is a manager or executive who engages in sexual harassment, then the situation can get even worse.
