Sexual harassment and bullying cause stress in the workplace
Stress for Success
August 5, 2008


If you’re over 50, you can remember when sexual harassment wasn’t even a term. Workplace “shenanigans” ran the gamut from funny to felonious. Once made illegal through Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 confusion about what constituted sexual harassment reigned partly because women and men perceive “joking” so differently causing distress for some.

For example, a male colleague gained a noticeable amount of weight and his co-workers teased him by saying, “Hey buddy how about another cheeseburger?” Women in the same circumstance might say to their female coworker, “You look great,” while talking about her weight gain behind her back.

This example doesn’t judge right or wrong. It just spotlights a gender difference. And when teasing takes on a sexual note, watch out!

There’s still confusion about what’s off limits in today’s workplace. But, as I have covered in past weeks, once employees understand what the law says it becomes much easier to discern if their own behavior crosses that shifting line.

Sexual harassment means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when it explicitly or implicitly affects:
§ An individual’s employment including raises, promotions, reprimands, etc.
§ Unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance
§ Creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment

The law applies to employers with 15 or more employees.

Consider that:
§ The target and harasser can be male or female and don’t have to be of the opposite sex.
§ The harasser can be the target’s supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a coworker, the employer’s agent, or a non-employee. When the harasser has authority over the target it’s called “quid pro quo” sexual harassment and the law takes it more seriously. When the harasser doesn’t have greater authority it’s considered “hostile work environment” sexual harassment.
§ The victim doesn’t have to be the person actually being harassed but could be anyone, an observer, offended by the conduct.
§ The harasser’s conduct must be unwelcome.

Sexual harassment is a crime that’s about power and control. So it makes sense that as women gain greater professional authority complaints against them will increase. In 2007, a record number, nearly 16% of documented cases, were filed by men, a number that has almost doubled in a decade.

Workplace bullying, such as ostracizing coworkers, spreading gossip, and insulting people about their job performance or private life, is even more stressful and prevalent than sexual harassment and not covered by anti-harassment laws. Targets of bullying feel angrier, more stressed, and are more likely to quit their job. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI), 37% of US employees have been bullied at work verses eight to 10% who’ve been sexually harassed. Psychologist Gary Namie, director of WBI, thinks the lack of legal consequences is one reason. “Bullying situations are (also) minimized as mere personality conflicts,” Namie adds.

Next week we’ll look at how you can reduce your stress by taking control when you’re the target of harassment or bullying.

Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., of InterAction Associates, is a trainer and a Stress Coach. E-mail her at www.jackieferguson.com with your questions or for information about her workshops on this and other topics and to invite her to speak to your organization.