|
| A) | 1921. | ||
| B) | 1949. | ||
| C) | 1964. | ||
| D) | 1989. |
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, unwanted sexual advances in the workplace were made illegal, but it was not until the 1970s that the term "sexual harassment" began to gain recognition, due in large part to the women's rights movement [1,2]. While sexual harassment is a term that has been familiar to the general population for the past 40 years, it has returned to the spotlight since the beginning of the "Me Too" movement, which started in 2006 but gained more widespread support and following in 2017 [3].
| A) | Verbal, emotional, and physical | ||
| B) | Workplace, public, and educational | ||
| C) | Quid pro quo, hostile work environment, and bullying | ||
| D) | Gender harassment, unwanted sexual attention, and sexual coercion |
Psychologically, sexual harassment has been divided into three categories that reflect the legal definitions [12]:
Gender harassment: Insults based upon sex, jokes, sexist comments, sexting, pornography, dehumanizing epithets (e.g., dog, whore), grabbing
Unwanted sexual attention: Attraction, sexual pursuit, pressure for dates, unwanted compliments, the sharing of sexual fantasies—a show of sexual interest that is unwelcome
Sexual coercion: Sexual compliance as a condition of a relationship
| A) | insults based upon sex or sexist comments. | ||
| B) | sexual compliance as a condition of a relationship. | ||
| C) | a supervisor or other superior asking for sexual favors in exchange for benefits at work. | ||
| D) | unwanted and unwelcome advances, comments, or any other content that is offensive, hostile, or threatening. |
Quid pro quo, meaning "this for that" in Latin, consists of a supervisor or other superior asking for sexual favors in exchange for benefits at work. These demands may be outright or implied. Benefits may include a promotion, a pay increase, a bigger office, approval of vacation time, better work shifts, or keeping one's job. Quid pro quo harassment also includes negative repercussions from refusing to perform the acts requested by the superior. For example, the harasser may threaten to or actually fire, demote, or assign unpleasant work assignments or bad work shifts to the victim as retaliation.
| A) | state government. | ||
| B) | federal government. | ||
| C) | private businesses with 15 or more employees | ||
| D) | All of the above |
As noted, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law that protects workers from discrimination regardless of their gender, race, color, national origin, or religion [2]. The EEOC was created under Title VII and is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee. This law applies to businesses with 15 or more employees and to federal, state, and local governments. Violation of Title VII can encompass all aspects of employment, including but not limited to hiring, firing, layoffs, compensation, training, promotions, and assignments. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person for making a complaint or reporting discrimination [17,18,19]. Specifically, section 703 of Title VII states it shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to [19]:
Fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his/her compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
Limit, segregate, or classify his/her employees or applicants for employment in any way that would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his/her status as an employee, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
| A) | speak their minds at work. | ||
| B) | sue employers for unfair work practices. | ||
| C) | work in an environment free of sexual harassment or discrimination. | ||
| D) | form watchdog groups to ensure that business are complying with Title VII laws. |
There are several laws in the state of Illinois regarding the prevention of, training to prevent, and protection from sexual harassment. The Illinois Human Rights Act, enforced by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), ensures the right of all employees to work in an environment free of sexual harassment or discrimination [21]. In 2017, the Illinois Sexual Harassment and Discrimination (SHD) helpline and website were created in order to help inform and guide employees through the sexual harassment reporting process (Resources). The state of Illinois also requires that places of business have sexual harassment policies in place in order to protect employees and ease the reporting process [21,22,23].
| A) | more efficient patient care. | ||
| B) | medication and medical errors. | ||
| C) | increased resilience among victims. | ||
| D) | improved employer policies to ensure safety. |
Sexual harassment and worker bullying in the healthcare workplace have led to severe patient care failures, including medication and medical errors and even death [24]. In addition to patient care failures, research clearly demonstrates that sexual harassment can negatively affect one's health. People who have been victims of sexual harassment are more likely to be depressed and to have symptoms of stress and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sexual harassment has been associated with additional negative psychologic effects, including burnout, unhealthy eating behaviors, self-blame, reduced self-esteem, emotional exhaustion, anger, disgust, fear, and less satisfaction with life in general. Furthermore, victims of sexual harassment may be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and self-harm. Physical health consequences may include headaches, exhaustion, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal problems, weight gain or loss, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues [5,13].
| A) | Burnout | ||
| B) | Substance use | ||
| C) | Emotional exhaustion | ||
| D) | All of the above |
Sexual harassment and worker bullying in the healthcare workplace have led to severe patient care failures, including medication and medical errors and even death [24]. In addition to patient care failures, research clearly demonstrates that sexual harassment can negatively affect one's health. People who have been victims of sexual harassment are more likely to be depressed and to have symptoms of stress and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sexual harassment has been associated with additional negative psychologic effects, including burnout, unhealthy eating behaviors, self-blame, reduced self-esteem, emotional exhaustion, anger, disgust, fear, and less satisfaction with life in general. Furthermore, victims of sexual harassment may be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and self-harm. Physical health consequences may include headaches, exhaustion, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal problems, weight gain or loss, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues [5,13].
| A) | Accept some blame for the offensive behavior. | ||
| B) | Avoid involvement of the labor union, if applicable. | ||
| C) | If possible, document all incidents of sexual harassment. | ||
| D) | Avoid alerting a supervisor until a lawsuit has been filed. |
If one experiences or witnesses sexual harassment in one's place of work, there are several things that can be done to stop the behavior and/or protect oneself [11,13,21]:
It is important that the victim of sexual harassment not blame her- or himself. The blame should be put on the harasser.
The victim should report the offending behavior to a superior or otherwise follow the grievance system that the employer has in place.
If possible, document all incidents of sexual harassment, including when it occurred, what happened, what was said or implied, and who was present.
The victim should make clear to the harasser that his or her behavior, speech, or actions are unwelcome and must stop. This may feel uncomfortable to the victim, but it is often the most effective strategy. If a face-to-face discussion is too difficult or dangerous, the victim may choose to send an e-mail or memo to the harasser outlining the incidents and explaining her or his feelings.
If one feels comfortable, one may confide in a friend, family member, or coworker. This may help to reduce stress and receive support. Additionally, one may learn that he or she has not been the only one to experience sexual harassment from a particular harasser and a plan to report may be made.
Seeking counseling may help reduce stress related to the sexual harassment.
If the victim belongs to a union, it may be effective to report the harassment directly to the labor union.
| A) | 30 | ||
| B) | 180 | ||
| C) | 300 | ||
| D) | 600 |
A charge of discrimination, including sexual harassment, can be reported to the IDHR in person or by phone, fax, e-mail, or mail within 300 days of the alleged harassment. (The statute of limitations in Chicago has been extended to 365 days.) The employee who wishes to report sexual harassment must complete, sign, and submit a complainant information sheet (CIS) to the IDHR. More information, including the CIS and the locations and addresses to which one can make the report, can be found online at https://www.illinois.gov/dhr [15]. If the harassment occurs in the context of an educational institution, the IDHR has a specific form for reporting. In all other places of employment, the general employment CIS should be used to report sexual harassment.
| A) | Transferring the employee to a less desirable position | ||
| B) | Answering questions during an employer investigation | ||
| C) | Creating new workplace policies and procedures to respond to reports of harassment | ||
| D) | Communicating with another supervisor or manager about employment discrimination |
An action is considered retaliation if, in response to an employee's action with the EEOC, the employer or supervisor [28]:
Reprimanded the employee or gave a performance evaluation that was lower than it should have been
Transferred the employee to a less desirable position
Engaged in verbal or physical abuse
Threatened to make, or actually made, reports to authorities (such as reporting immigration status or contacting the police)
Engaged in increased scrutiny
Spread false rumors
Treated a family member negatively (e.g., canceled a contract with the person's spouse)
Made the person's work more difficult (e.g., purposefully changing an employee's work schedule to conflict with family responsibilities)