Social Sexual harassment is considered sexual discrimination, therefore, it is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission(EEOC) “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment” is to be considered sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in the workplace may take place in many different forms, some easier to distinguish from others. Sexual harassment can occur in the workplace when employment decisions are made based on the victim’s acceptance or rejection of sexual context, if a person’s job performance is affected by sexual conduct, sexual conduct may create a hostile work environment for any individual, or even if an employee is subject to unwanted conduct from non-employees and the supervisor or employer fails to stop the inappropriate behavior. Sexual harassment does not always necessarily involve sexual contact or sexual advances and suggestions. Harassment can also occur when one employee stares provocatively at another, makes jokes that include sexual conduct or in a sexual manner. Sexual harassment can be observed in many different circumstances, as well. For example, the harasser and the victim can be a man or a woman, and the victim does not only have to be of the opposite sex. However, statistics show that the percent of sexual harassment charges filed by males with the EEOC is only 17.5%. In the hospitality industry, incidents of sexual harassment have become much more susceptible due to different social characteristics and closely knit working environments. According to the EEOC there are two different types of workplace sexual harassment, “quid pro quo” harassment and “hostile work” environment harassment. Quid pro quo in latin means “something for something”. Basically this type of harassment occurs when an individual accepts or rejects sexual conduct made in return for a promotion or raise at work. Essentially this can be considered a “power game” to many. Hostile work environment occurs when an employee or staff member feels intimidated by fellow employees or even management personnel because of lewd or unwanted remarks and/or behavior. In the hospitality industry, many employers are most often looking for staff with “outgoing personalities” and “friendly and hospitable” employees. This may lead to other employees or even guests to mistake one’s friendliness for flirtation. The most important thing to remember with this is that sexual harassment is considered and behavior that is “unwanted” by the victim. Many of us as hospitality students can relate to these issues as we work in the industry. Talking to fellow employees in the restaurant, there are many stories of sexual jokes, horseplay and in many cases employee fraternization. In the restaurant industry, these normal social interactions between employees may cause no harm in the workplace but in an office setting, many would consider these behaviors sexual harassment. Many times sexual harassment does not happen between employees and management, but there is also something known as “third party sexual harassment”. This can from a delivery man, service personnel or even guests. Employers are still liable for any “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that occurs within the workplace”, according to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Techonology

A couple of decades ago sexual harassment usually constituted of male supervisors making lewd and unwanted sexual comments or actions towards female employees. It is quite amazing how unlawful harassment has evolved and grown in the last twenty years or so. In the technologically advanced