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Sexual harassment and the communication conundrum

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Abstract

The rise of both sexual harassment complaints and litigation has made many companies react with strict no tolerance policies causing widespread concern among employees that anything they say might be misconstrued and lead to their termination. This fear is largely unjustified. Most people understand what is being said and do not misinterpret offhand and innocent remarks as sexually harassing. This paper examines some of the areas where the sexes are in agreement as to what does and does not constitute sexual harassment. In doing so, certain forms of behavior are discerned that pose a particular problem. By pinpointing specific areas where communication is especially ambiguous, educators and trainers can focus their resources and dramatically reduce sexual harassment in the workplace.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Cumberland University, Lebanon, TN

    John Markert (an associate porofessor)

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  1. John Markert
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Correspondence to John Markert.

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Markert, J. Sexual harassment and the communication conundrum. Gend. Issues 17, 34–52 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-999-0002-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-999-0002-z

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