What to Do If You Witness Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Scenario 

For some time, I noticed John, one of my co-workers, sexually harassing Susan. He claimed that Susan wore dresses that meant to attract his attention. I have been a close friend of Susan since she joined the organization three months ago. Ever since joining the firm, she claimed that John has been touching her inappropriately in a manner that made her uncomfortable. She claimed that this behavior affected her emotional well-being. John has been working for the firm since its inception; I had heard rumors about his actions towards female co-workers. However, his behavior had been excused for a while since he continually intimidates female employees. It was an ethical dilemma for me since I had to choose between reporting John to the senior officials or ignoring the issue. In such a scenario, a person may be labeled a troublemaker for reporting a co-worker to the supervisor. However, the welfare of my friend was paramount; she had confided in me to receive proper assistance. 

Ethical Approach 

The best means to resolve such an ethical dilemma is to note the behaviors that constitute sexual harassment. In the current situation, John touched Susan inappropriately and made direct comments about her body and dress code. An ethical decision should be based on the requirements of the law, the standards of the workplace, and the need to act (Mintz, 2012). I did a background check on the company’s employee workbook and noticed that John’s actions were categorized as sexual harassment. Besides, the organization had zero tolerance against such behavior. After investigating the company’s stance on the issue, I would have informed Susan that I would report the matter to the supervisors. Then, I would ask her to be confident and avoid fearing John since the company’s disciplinary committee would take appropriate action against him. In the workplace, the interests of the victims should be prioritized before the needs of the perpetrators. 

References 

Mintz, S. (2012 April 12). What is the basis for ethical decision-making? Ethics Sage . Retrieved from https://www.ethicssage.com/2012/04/what-is-the-basis-for-ethical-decision-making.html