Workplace harassment
[7] Workplace harassment includes different types of discrimination and acts of violation that are not confined to one specific group.
In essence, workplace harassment requires a pluralistic understanding, because it cannot be delineated in one coherent and concrete definition.
[8] With freedom from abuse given as a basic human right, any form of discomfort or discrimination in workplace becomes labeled as an act of harassment.
A study done by Kathleen D. Ryan and Daniel K Oestereich, Driving Fear Out of the Workplace, found that many of these behaviors can range from subtle emotional cues to outward physical threats and can include; silence, direct insults and even angry outbursts.
Sexual assault in the workplace has gained media and academic attention mainly in the 1990s after a series of famous sex scandals.
"[14] With this cascade of sex scandals, the media and scholars have focused on developing more studies on sexual harassment in workplaces.
[15] Moreover, "Nearly 10% had been directly pressured for sexual cooperation, and a similar percentage described repeated telephone calls and unwelcome letters or notes.
"[15] Other than this example, Fitzgerald states that "the enormity of such figures is difficult to grasp, indicating as they do that virtually millions of women are subjected to experiences ranging from insults to assault—many on an ongoing or recurrent basis— as the price of earning a living.
[19] According to Keashly, emotional harassment can be defined as "the hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors that are not explicitly tied to sexual or racial content yet are directed at gaining compliance from others.
Also known as mobbing, workplace bullying "is a long lasting, escalated conflict with frequent harassing actions systematically aimed at a target person.
"[20] Specific actions of workplace bullying include the following: false accusations of mistakes and errors, hostile glares and other intimidating non-verbal behaviors, yelling, shouting, and screaming, exclusion and the "silent treatment," withholding resources and information necessary to the job, behind-the-back sabotage and defamation, use of put-downs, insults, and excessively harsh criticism, and unreasonably heavy work demands designed to ensure failure.
[20] The opposite argument contends that the cause of workplace bullying lies in the organizational problems and poor leadership skills.
Another argument states that workplace bullying is a multi-causal phenomenon, as different factors can play their respective roles in building the tension.
[15] The more explicit forms of sexual harassment are shown by court cases, such as Meritor v. Vinson (1986), Robinson v. Jacksonville Shipyards (1991), and others.
"[28] Even so, the LGBT group has faced constant discrimination and harassment in workplaces, as shown by court cases and historical events.
[30] The mistreatment and harassment do not explicitly "reference race or discrimination as the cause of the treatment", because overt racism is prohibited in workplaces.
[30] In addition, not only Blacks but also Asian Americans, and other minority races all face "a higher rate of homicide than their proportion of the work force would suggest.
[33] One mail survey that was completed at four points in time by a cohort of 1654 employees has shown that the positive correlation between consumption of drinking and levels of workplace harassment continues after retirement.
[35] The study attributes the reason for the lasting effect is that "appropriate alcohol consumption may have functioned to somewhat inhibit the self-medication of stress-induced distress during work role occupancy".
[36] Several studies show that many workplace harassment victims experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
[37] For example, a study that interviewed about 100 victims of workplace harassment shows that "a majority of the respondents exceed recommended threshold-values indicating PTSD".
[37] Therefore, the study concludes the "exposure to other traumatic life events may increase victims' vulnerability" to their sensitivity to workplace harassment.
"[42]"Most courts consider it consistent with the intent of Congress to interpret the Act liberally, and therefore, coverage under Title VII is very broad".
[43] In addition, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a governmental committee that prohibits discrimination in workplace, administers the practices and violations of Title VII.
[44] Meritor Savings Bank vs. Vinson case ruled that hostile environment is considered a violation of Title VII.
[44] This decision "legitimized this area of the law for complainants and, for the first time, put employers on notice that unwelcome sexual conduct will not be tolerated in the workplace.
[45] They openly disagreed and showed "disagreement among civil libertarians on how to apply free speech- and equality principles to the facts at issue in a workplace sexual harassment case.
Some of the other reports was failing to agree with the boss was considered being a trouble maker, always having to give praise to the superior, the senior colleague has a tendency to shout at people.
In some cases they were made to feel they were at fault, which is why they quit [47] In other surveys, it is clear that the company is aware but does nothing, such as where a Singapore economist at a US bank is involved.
[48] A Kantar survey in 2019 suggested that employees in Singapore were the most likely to be made to "feel uncomfortable" by their employers, compared with those in the other countries that the company polled.
