No employee should have to suffer sexual harassment. Yet, despite supposed progress toward greater equality, sexual harassment toward female employees in particular is still rife.
One of the many concerning statistics relating to this ongoing problem concerns just how few employees report it when someone sexually harasses them. A mere 0.2% file a formal report according to one study.
There are a host of reasons that people do not report workplace sexual harassment, including not knowing how to go about it. Here are the two grounds on which you can file a formal complaint:
1. Quid pro quo
Quid pro quo is a Latin phrase. It means “something given or received for something else.” Workplace examples could include a boss offering an employee a promotion in exchange for sex. Or a line manager offering not to report someone for an issue they saw in exchange for a date. If someone offers to do you a favor in exchange for a favor of a sexual nature, then you can use quid pro quo as the grounds for your complaint.
2. Hostile work environment
Bosses and colleagues can make turning up to work unpleasant for an employee. Some of the time there is not much you can do about it but accept that not everyone in the world is a nice person all the time. If, however, there is a sexual nature to what they do, you may be able to claim sexual harassment on the grounds of them creating a hostile work environment.
Examples could include one event, such as someone saying something particularly crude to you. Or a series of events, such as the constant stares you suffer as you walk down the corridor, repeated references to your body or the inappropriate pictures that appear from time to time on your desk.
If you have suffered sexual harassment at work, learning more about your legal options could help you put an end to it.