• 02
  • December
    2011

There is a serious problem that plagues workplaces in California. Sexual harassment is still prevalent. A recent survey shows that one in four women polled reported to having been sexually harassed at least once while at work. Two-thirds of workers still find these instances to be a problem in the workplace. The younger generation and the older generation of workers see harassment differently from one another.

There is also a problem with harassment via technology, mainly emails with unwanted pictures. Some workers have filed charges on same-sex harassment issues, whether it be a woman flirting with another woman or a male being questioned of his masculinity in the workplace.

Younger workers question the effectiveness of workplace harassment training videos, asking their employers why everyone can't be held responsible for their own actions. Filing harassment charges against the boss is still difficult for many workers today. Some fear the action could cost the worker his or her career.

The statistics from the most recent poll have shown that sexual harassment cases have decreased in the past 20 years. Though one in four women have reported to having been harassed at the workplace, it is one-third less than it was 20 years prior. One must take into account that nearly 90 percent of harassment cases never go to court, but are generally settled outside of the court room. The survey reveals that workers are more aware of their rights and the rights of others.

Source: Star Tribune, "Sex harassment neither gone nor forgotten," Kristin Tillotson, Nov. 27, 2011