Internal business ethics are crucial for any business because they foster honesty and integrity among employees and also promote trust among company stakeholders such as investors, clients, and management. Sexual harassment in the form of requests, favors, advances, or any other kind of physical or verbal sexual bother in the workplace is a common issue in business ethics. This paper intends to analyze the impact of sexual harassment on productivity levels, discuss a company that was caught up in this type of issue, and also highlight the best practices that might a company implement to avoid negative behavior within their organization. In a nutshell, clearly defining what is considered sexual harassment and implementing related policies help companies to avoid cases of the problem in the organization.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (2021), sexual harassment is defined as the submission of unwelcome sexual advances or any other kind of physical or verbal sexual bother as a condition, to impact employment decision making, or to intimidate a worker. The victim and the accused can be of a different or the same sex. The victim and the harasser can be co-workers, have a supervisor-subordinate relationship, or even have a business-client association.
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Sexual harassment has far-reaching consequences on the productivity of businesses; this is because the behavior leads to a hostile working environment which leads to depression among its victims. Research reveals that victims of sexual harassment are unhappy at work and are at a higher risk of developing depression and anxiety symptoms (Aeberhard-Hodges, 2017). Other complications reported to be high among sexual harassment victims are sleep irregularities, high blood pressure, nausea, absenteeism, and low self-esteem. All the above-mentioned conditions result in low company productivity. Company performance is worse when the harassment among employees is rampant and continuous. The study by Aeberhard-Hodges (2017) reveals that harassment is closely associated with disengagement and dissatisfaction in work among employees. Loss of concentration and motivation among victims and fellow employees is another result of sexual harassment that leads to reduced productivity by businesses.
EEOC sued Mitsubishi Motors for sexually harassing women in its assembly factory located in Normal, Illinois (Aeberhard-Hodges, 2017). Details of the suit reveal that female workers at the plant were subjected to physical and verbal abuse. The case received wide media coverage across the US especially after the revelation that management of the company reaching out to company employees urging them to deny the claims. The case involved 28 victims and the motor company.
Considering sexual harassment is present in numerous organizations, it is crucial for managers and HR departments to develop practices that might help avoid negative behavior within their organizations. The first and most significant step that companies should implement is clearly defining what is considered sexual harassment in the organization through regular training. These include unwelcome jokes, touching, and sending messages or media that are sexually suggestive or aggressive. Another crucial step that a company may use to avoid negative behavior is developing and applying sexual harassment policy to appropriately deal with suspects that have been reported.
In conclusion, clearly defining what is considered sexual harassment and implementing related policies help companies to avoid cases of the problem in the organization. Companies should strive to develop safe working conditions, free from sexual harassment, for all employees. Organizations should also handle sexual harassment cases with the seriousness it deserves, unlike the scenario described in this paper.
References
Aeberhard-Hodges, J. (2017). Sexual harassment in employment: Recent judicial and arbitral trends. International Labor Review , 135 (5), 499-532. https://www.ilo.org/public/english/revue/download/pdf/hodges.pdf
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2021). Sexual Harassment | . EEOC. https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment#:~:text=It%20is%20unlawful%20to%20harass,harassment%20of%20a%20sexual%20nature
