In the year 2019, women throughout America agreed on the top 15 issues they are forced to deal within the workplace. The number 1 issue that women face in the workplace is "sexual harassment." For years, women have been mistreated by their male coworkers. Sadly, some women have even been sexually assaulted by their bosses and coworkers. If sexual harassment is a crime, then why does it still exist? Are women afraid to come forward to address this behavior because they fear they could lose their job? This is an ever-lasting issue and I think more women should come forward if this is something they have/are dealing with.
Sexual harassment is not just flashing someone their goods, it comes in many forms. Sexual harassment can be comments that someone makes about parts of your body. Coworkers may write a dirty note and leave it on your desk in hopes of you falling for their tricks. Some women think that a guy making sexual advances at them, is just a guy flirting but it's not. These are just some of the most common forms of sexual harassment in the workplace.
This abominable behavior is disturbingly too common. A study released by EEOC claims that “anywhere from 25% to 85% of women report having experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.” This reveals that approximately one in four people have experienced some form of sexual harassment while working. Their total number of complaints included 44% alleged harassment based on sex. These are alarming numbers and data that show just how prevalent this issue is in society.
A National Study on Sexual Harassment by SSH, also reported that about 81% of women had been affected by this widespread problem. When researching where it occurs, they discovered that “38% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment in their workplace.” The location of the first experience of sexual assault in the workplace reported by women was 8% and “respondent’s workplace was the third most frequent lifetime location (13% women)” of suffering sexual harassment. Lamentably, public spaces are not entirely safe for women being that they are often violated in their very own work environment.
Worse still, a Cosmopolitan survey showed that 71% of women do not report sexual harassment. They most likely remain silent in fear of retaliation. To no surprise, an EEOC report found that “75% of employees who spoke out against workplace mistreatment faced some form of retaliation." It is evident that many women have yet to come forward out of fear and the number of sexual harassment cases is possibly higher than perceived.
There are laws and ethic codes put into place to protect women and men from sexual harassment. It is against the law and the punishment balances with the severity of the crime. Some people get fired, some go to court and pay a fine, and some are sentenced to jail, probation, and even prison in some cases. Not to mention the expensive lawsuits that the victims may file against the company. To avoid a tarnished reputation and costs of legal action, companies should continue to stand by their ethic codes and enforce consequences to protect the victims.
We must continue to talk about sexual harassment to shed more light on the issue. People who are educated about sexual harassment should not be afraid to talk about the issue. People need to speak up when they are being mistreated. It is also good to talk to your coworkers to see how they feel about the issue. You never know when someone is ready to get something off their back. Maybe they have been scared for a long time and now they are ready to talk.
My advice to anyone reading this post is, to not be ashamed to come forward when someone is mistreating you. You have the right to remain anonymous, no one will mention your name if you don’t want them to. That is your privacy right and your employer must abide by that. You will also be helping your company and protecting yourself from further abuse.
Worse still, a Cosmopolitan survey showed that 71% of women do not report sexual harassment. They most likely remain silent in fear of retaliation. To no surprise, an EEOC report found that “75% of employees who spoke out against workplace mistreatment faced some form of retaliation." It is evident that many women have yet to come forward out of fear and the number of sexual harassment cases is possibly higher than perceived.
There are laws and ethic codes put into place to protect women and men from sexual harassment. It is against the law and the punishment balances with the severity of the crime. Some people get fired, some go to court and pay a fine, and some are sentenced to jail, probation, and even prison in some cases. Not to mention the expensive lawsuits that the victims may file against the company. To avoid a tarnished reputation and costs of legal action, companies should continue to stand by their ethic codes and enforce consequences to protect the victims.
We must continue to talk about sexual harassment to shed more light on the issue. People who are educated about sexual harassment should not be afraid to talk about the issue. People need to speak up when they are being mistreated. It is also good to talk to your coworkers to see how they feel about the issue. You never know when someone is ready to get something off their back. Maybe they have been scared for a long time and now they are ready to talk.
My advice to anyone reading this post is, to not be ashamed to come forward when someone is mistreating you. You have the right to remain anonymous, no one will mention your name if you don’t want them to. That is your privacy right and your employer must abide by that. You will also be helping your company and protecting yourself from further abuse.
Not everyone reports their sexual harassment story. Luckily, some brave people are willing to tell their stories. I am going to include some stories below from Huffpost.com of women that have experienced sexual harassment at their jobs:
“This happened when I was about 23 and working in a popular retail store that sells tea and tea accessories. I was alone in the store for a moment and a man comes in. He starts talking to me and I go into my usual sales pitch. Then he randomly gets really close to me and tells me that: “my t**s are really great.” He had gotten so close, almost touching me. After he left I was still shocked and shaking. I still remember that as one of the most humiliating things that has ever happened to me, and it makes me cringe every time I think about it.” — Yvonne, 27
“I’ve had to deal with male customers who stop and comment on the fact that I rest on my knees while stocking our warehouse. My favorite is, “ you need to get up off those knees, girl.” All while they stand and leer while licking their lips. I’m at work. I don’t want to flirt with you. I want to do my job and go home. Unmolested and unbothered. I recently had a male coworker slap my behind with a flyswatter. One guy I work with offered to hold my hand because “I was blushing and clearly like getting my butt spanked.” I wasn’t blushing. My ears and cheeks were red because I was mortified and angry.” — K, 24
“I was used to how the guys acted… but being cornered in the small produce color by a rather large coworker, was not something I was looking forward to. [He] would not let me pass and believe me there was no way around him, he began putting his hands on me and pulling me towards him as if to kiss, then he showed me his p***s. I had to show him I was carrying a pocket knife so that he would leave me be…” —SJ, 49
From these stories we can see that it does not matter in what industry you work in, there is still a chance of being subjected to sexual harassment. These women are all different ages, so it does not matter if you are young or not. Women all over have to realize the severity of this issue and report the sexual harassment they experience at work.
When I was 18, I experienced a moment where I was at work and a male coworker slapped my butt and ran off. I stood there shocked. I didn’t know what to do. I felt violated, but I did not report it because I did not want to start any drama at work. I do not know why he thought that was okay, or maybe he just did not care. It is clear we need to educate both men and women on how to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, or anywhere for that matter.
If you feel comfortable sharing an experience at work, leave a comment explaining what happened and if you reported it. Or, you can leave an anonymous comment.
When I was 18, I experienced a moment where I was at work and a male coworker slapped my butt and ran off. I stood there shocked. I didn’t know what to do. I felt violated, but I did not report it because I did not want to start any drama at work. I do not know why he thought that was okay, or maybe he just did not care. It is clear we need to educate both men and women on how to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, or anywhere for that matter.
If you feel comfortable sharing an experience at work, leave a comment explaining what happened and if you reported it. Or, you can leave an anonymous comment.
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We did a good job collaborating.
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