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Effects of Sexual Harassment

last updated 9 May 2007

As the Commission of the European Union states, sexual harassment pollutes the !or"in# en$ironment and canha$e a de$astatin# effect upon the health, confidence, morale and performance of those affected %y it& 'heanxiety and stress produced %y sexual harassment commonly leads to those su%(ected to it ta"in# time off !or"due to sic"ness, %ein# less efficient at !or", or lea$in# their (o% to see" !or" else!here& Employees often suffer the ad$erse conse)uences of the harassment itself and short* and lon#*term dama#e to their employmentprospects if they are forced to chan#e (o%s& Sexual harassment may also ha$e a dama#in# impact on employeesnot themsel$es the o%(ect of un!anted %eha$iour %ut !ho are !itness to it or ha$e a "no!led#e of the un!anted%eha$ior&

'here are also ad$erse conse)uences arisin# from sexual harassment for employers& +t has a direct impact onthe profita%ility of the enterprise !here staff ta"e sic" lea$e or resi#n their posts %ecause of sexual harassment,and on the economic efficiency of the enterprise !here employees producti$ity is reduced %y ha$in# to !or" in aclimate in !hich indi$iduals inte#rity is not respected&

+n #eneral terms, sexual harassment is an o%stacle to the proper inte#ration of !omen into the la%our mar"et&

-rom European Union Commission .ecommendation of 27 /o$em%er 99 on the protection of the di#nity of !omen and men at !or", 992 1&& 34596 &

Health Effects

+n a summary of t!o studies of sexual harassment completed in 99 co$erin# 8 European countries, the EUCommission reported that almost all people sufferin# sexual harassment reported ne#ati$e conse)uences %oth intheir pri$ate li$es and relatin# to their (o%& As re#ards the former, psychosomatic symptoms, loss of self*esteem,and interference !ith pri$ate life are the most commonly reported conse)uences& As re#ards the latter, it appearsthat harassed employees experience a ne#ati$e impact on their career more often than the harassers& Adaptedfrom Sexual harassment in the !or"place in the European Union, European Commission, irectorate*:eneral for Employment, +ndustrial .elations and Social Affairs 3996 3;-, 25< pa#es6&

American scholars ha$e come to similar conclusions& 'hey maintain that =s>exual harassment often has a seriousand ne#ati$e impact on !omens physical and emotional health, and the more se$ere the harassment, the morese$ere the reaction& 'he reactions fre)uently reported %y !omen include anxiety, depression, sleep distur%ance,

!ei#ht loss or #ain, loss of appetite, and headaches& .esearchers ha$e also found that there is a lin" %et!eensexual harassment and ;ost*'raumatic Stress isorder& -rom /ational ?omens 4a! Center 3citin# @ar%ara A&:ute" and Mary ;& oss, Chan#ed ?omen and Chan#ed 1r#aniBations Conse)uences of and Copin# !ithSexual Harassment, ournal of Docational @eha$ior, Dol& 52, 2, << 399<6 4ouise -& -itB#erald, SexualHarassment Diolence A#ainst ?omen in the ?or"place, American ;sycholo#ist, Dol& 5, 070, 072 399<66& -or more information on ;ost 'raumatic Stress isorder see Health Conse)uences of Sexual Assault&

;rominent U&S& psycholo#ist 4ouise -itB#erald, ;h, has studied sexual harassment extensi$ely in pri$ate U&S&companies usin# the Sexual Experiences Fuestionnaire 3SEF6 she de$eloped& 'he SEF measures harassmentin !hat -itB#erald has defined as the %eha$ioral cate#ories of #ender harassment, un!anted sexual attention andsexual coercion expressed throu#h crude !ords, acts and #estures con$eyin# hostile, miso#ynist attitudes&Un!anted sexual attention is analo#ous to the le#al concept of hostile !or" en$ironment harassment and sexualcoercion is analo#ous to the le#al concept of )uid pro )uo sexual harassment& 'he SEF #au#es thepsycholo#ical an#uish harassment $ictims experience, !hether, for example, the harassment made them feelincompetent& +t also measures outcomes such as anxiety, depression, (o% satisfaction and !or" !ithdra!al&Usin# the SEF, -itB#erald has demonstrated that sexual harassment leads to depression, anxiety and stress*related physical pro%lems, especially !hen the harassment is se$ere and fre)uent& /o (o% %enefit need %e lostfor harassment to ha$e a psycholo#ical effect on its tar#et& -rom @rid#et Murray, ;sycholo#ys $oice in sexualharassment la!, American ;sycholo#ical Association 3Au#ust 9963referencin# -itB#erald, 4&-&, ras#o!, -&,Hulin, C&4&, :elfand, M&& G Ma#ley, D&&, Antecedents and conse)uences of sexual harassment in or#aniBations

A test of an inte#rated model, ournal of Applied ;sycholo#y, Dol& 2, 7*9 39976 -itB#erald, 4&-&, S!ann, S&G Ma#ley, D&&, @ut ?as +t .eally HarassmentI 4e#al, @eha$ioral and ;sycholo#ical efinitions of the ?or"placeDictimiBation of ?omen, in ?& 1onohue 3Ed&6, Sexual Harassment 'heory, .esearch and 'reatment 39976and Schneider, &'&, S!ann, S& G -itB#erald, 4&-&, o%*related and psycholo#ical effects of sexual harassment inthe !or"place empirical e$idence from t!o or#aniBations, ournal of Applied ;sycholo#y, Dol& 2, 50*5399766&

See also Chelsea .& ?illness, et al&, ournal of ;ersonnel ;sycholo#y, A Meta*Analysis of 'he Antecedents andConse)uences of ?or"place Sexual Harassment 320076 3J=Sexual Harassment> experiences are associated !ithne#ati$e outcomes such as decreased (o% satisfaction, lo!er or#aniBational commitment, !ithdra!in# from !or",ill physical and mental health, and e$en symptoms of post*traumatic stress disorder & & & & Sexual harassment 3SH6has %een identified as one of the most dama#in# %arriers to career success and satisfaction for !omen&K6

'he European -oundation for the +mpro$ement of 4i$in# and ?or"in# Conditions has noted that J'hose affected%y $iolence or harassment in the !or"place tend to report hi#her le$els of !or"*related ill*health&K European-oundation for the +mpro$ement of 4i$in# and ?or"in# Conditions, -ourth European ?or"in# Conditions Sur$ey320076& -or example, the -oundation disco$ered that the proportion of !or"ers reportin# symptoms such assleepin# pro%lems, anxiety and irrita%ility is nearly four times #reater amon# those !ho ha$e experienced!or"place harassment than amon# those !ho ha$e not& -ourth European ?or"in# Conditions Sur$ey at 50&



-inancial Effects

'he financial effects of sexual harassment are potentially se$ere, especially !hen the employer does not ha$eade)uate policies and complaint procedures in place& -inancial harms to $ictims of sexual harassment includeloss of !a#es %ecause of ta"in# sic" lea$e or lea$e !ithout pay from !or" or as a result of the termination or transfer of employment& -or example, the U&S& :o$ernment estimated that federal employees lost L5&5 million in!a#es from 992*995 %ecause of sexual harassment& -rom U&S& Merit Systems ;rotection @oard, SexualHarassment in the -ederal ?or"force 'rends, ;ro#ress and Continuin# Challen#es, < 3996& Dictims may facemore intan#i%le financial or career losses such as a loss of (o% references or recommendations, or %ein#ostraciBed from professional or academic circles& -rom Sexual Harassment Support, Effects of SexualHarassment 320086&

Accordin# to the /ational Council for .esearch on ?omen, !omen in the United States are 9 times more li"elythan men to )uit their (o%s, times more li"ely to transfer, and < times more li"ely to lose (o%s %ecause of harassment& -rom 9 for ?omen, ?hat to o if ou or Someone ou no! is Sexually Harassed, -eministMa(ority -oundation 3citin# 'he ?e%% .eport 3une 99566&

Diolence, includin# instances of sexual harassment, also affects third parties, !ith !itnesses and o%ser$ersfre)uently lea$in# the or#aniBation in response to their experiences& -rom European -oundation for the+mpro$ement of 4i$in# and ?or"in# Conditions, ;re$entin# Diolence and Harassment in the ?or"place 3200<63;-, 09 pa#es6&

:lo%al Costs of Sexual Harassment

'he costs of sexual harassment suffered %y employers and conse)uently the #lo%al economy are hi#h& 'hesecosts result from a%senteeism, reduced (o% satisfaction and producti$ity, premature ill health and retirement,hi#her rates of staff turno$er and insurance costs, le#al defense and lia%ility for sexual harassment claims& -romEuropean -oundation for the +mpro$ement of 4i$in# and ?or"in# Conditions, ;re$entin# Diolence andHarassment in the ?or"place 3200<6 3;-, 09 pa#es6& +t is #enerally %elie$ed that formal sexual harassmentpolicies a#ainst sexual harassment in the !or"place is one !ay to pre$ent la!suits and drops in producti$ity andefficiency& See the Employer .esponsi%ilities Section for more information a%out such policies&

+n Europe, it has %een noted that !or"ers !ho are exposed to Jpsychosocial ris"sK li"e sexual harassment aresi#nificantly more li"ely to report they ha$e %een a%sent from !or" due to !or"*related ill health& European-oundation for the +mpro$ement of 4i$in# and ?or"in# Conditions, -ourth European ?or"in# Conditions Sur$ey

320076& 'hese !or"ers also Jtend to ha$e lon#er durations of !or" a%sence and are o$er*represented in thatcate#ory of !or"ers !ho too" 80 days off in the pre$ious 2 months due to !or"*related ill health&K -ourthEuropean ?or"in# Conditions Sur$ey at 50&

+n the United States, it is estimated that =i>#norin# pro%lems of sexual harassment can cost the a$era#e companyup to L8&7 million a year in lo! producti$ity, lo! morale, and employee turno$er and a%senteeism, not includin#liti#ation or other le#al costs& -rom 9 for ?omen, ?hat to o if ou or Someone ou no! is SexuallyHarassed, -eminist Ma(ority -oundation 3citin# Sexual Harassment in the -ortune 00, ?or"in# ?oman, ec&9, 96& 'he E)ual Employment 1pportunity Commission 3EE1C6 indicates that L5& million in monetary%enefits !ere pro$ided to filers of sexual harassment claims in 2008 this amount does not include monetary%enefits o%tained throu#h liti#ation& -rom Sexual Harassment Char#es EE1C G -E;As Com%ined - 997*-2008& +n addition, the federal #o$ernment reported a loss of L<27 million from 992*995 due to sexualharassment& -rom U&S& Merit Systems ;rotection @oard, Sexual Harassment in the -ederal ?or"force 'rends,;ro#ress and Continuin# Challen#es, < 3996&

'he Effects of Sexual Harassment on the Dictim

'he effects of sexual harassment $ary from person to person, and are contin#ent on the se$erity, and duration, of the harassment& Ho!e$er, sexual harassment is a type of sexual assault, and $ictims of se$ere or chronic sexualharassment can suffer the same psycholo#ical effects as rape $ictims& A##ra$atin# factors can exist, such astheir %ecomin# the tar#et of retaliation, %ac"lash, or $ictim %lamin# after their complainin#, or filin# a formal#rie$ance& Moreo$er, people !ho ha$e experienced sexual harassment occupy a place in our society that issimilar to !here rape $ictims !ere placed in the past, and they can %e a%used further %y the system that issupposed to help and protect them& +ndeed, the treatment of the complainant durin# an in$esti#ation or liti#ationcan %e %rutal, and add further dama#e to their life, health, and psyche& ependin# on the situation, a sexualharassment $ictim can experience anythin# from mild annoyance to extreme psycholo#ical dama#e, !hile the

impact on a $ictims career and life may %e minimal, or lea$e them in ruins&

Some of the effects a sexual harassment $ictim can experience

ecreased !or" or school performance as the $ictim must focus on dealin# !ith the harassment and thesurroundin# dynamics andNor effects psycholo#ical effects of harassment can also decrease !or" and schoolperformance+ncreased a%senteeism to a$oid harassment, or %ecause of illness from the stressHa$in# to drop courses, or chan#e academic plans academic transcripts may %e !ea"ened %ecause of decreased school performance.etaliation from the harasser, or collea#uesNfriends of the harasser, should the $ictim complain or file a #rie$ance3retaliation can in$ol$e re$en#e alon# !ith more sexual harassment, and often in$ol$es stal"in# the complainant6



Ha$in# ones personal life offered up for pu%lic scrutiny **the $ictim %ecomes the accused, and their dress,lifestyle, and pri$ate life !ill often come under attac"& 3/ote this rarely occurs for the perpetrator&6@ein# o%(ectified and humiliated %y scrutiny and #ossip@ecomin# pu%licly sexualiBedefamation of character and reputation4oss of trust in en$ironments similar to !here the harassment occurred4oss of trust in the types of people that occupy similar positions as the harasser or their collea#uesExtreme stress upon relationships !ith si#nificant others, sometimes resultin# in di$orce extreme stress on peer relationships, or relationships !ith collea#ues@ein# ostraciBed from professional or academic circlesHa$in# to relocate to another city, another (o%, or another school4oss of (o% and income loss of tuition %ecause of ha$in# to lea$e school4oss of referencesNrecommendations4oss of career?ea"enin# of support net!or" collea#ues, friends, and e$en family may distance themsel$es from the $ictim or a%andon them alto#ether&

Some of the health effects, psycholo#ical and physiolo#ical, that can occur in someone !ho has %een sexuallyharassed

epression Anxiety andNor panic attac"s'raumatic stress post*traumatic stress disorder 3;'S6

Sleeplessness andNor ni#htmaresShame and #uilt self*%lameifficulty concentratin#Headaches-ati#ue or loss of moti$ationifficulties !ith time 3for#ettin# appointments, trou%le #a#in# time6Stomach pro%lems #astrointestinal disordersEatin# disorders 3!ei#ht loss or #ain6-eelin# %etrayed andNor $iolated-eelin# an#ry or $iolent to!ards the perpetrator -eelin# po!erless, helpless, or out of control+ncreased %lood pressure4oss of confidence and self esteem

1$erall loss of trust in people pro%lems !ith intimacy;ro%lems !ith sex 3sexual dysfunction6?ithdra!al and isolationSuicidal thou#hts or attempts suicide

;lease note, the a%o$e symptoms may not %e #enerated only from the harassment, %ut can %e the cumulati$eresult of the harassment, retaliation, %ac"lash, andNor %lamin# a sexual harassment $ictim may endure&

En$ironmental chan#es 'he ?omens Crisis Support and Shelter of Santa CruB has created a list of the chan#esthat mi#ht occur in a sexual harassment $ictims en$ironment after they ha$e complained of the %eha$ior, or others ha$e found out a%out it& ?hile !ritten for the !or"place, you can #eneraliBe many of these patterns tosexual harassment in an educational settin#& 3/ote this !as !ritten for female $ictims, %ut a male $ictim mayexperience similar pressures ho!e$er, %ecause of the dou%le*standard in our society re#ardin# sex and #ender,a male !ill most li"ely ha$e different concerns, and stru##le !ith different emotions&6

Her social en$ironment may %e entirely transformed& +f only some people "no!, she may constantly !onder !ho"no!s and !hat they are thin"in#& She may o$erhear con$ersations of her superiors a%out her case& She may%ecome the su%(ect of (uicy #ossip and !ild misinformation and speculation& 'he harasser may %e conductin#their o!n campai#n of misinformation& She !ill %e (ud#ed %y all !ho "no! a%out it, !hether positi$ely or ne#ati$ely& 'his is a hu#e %urden to carry throu#h your !or" or school en$ironment&

Her support net!or" may %e torn& 'he en$ironment in !hich it happened may %e a %i# part of her life and her social sphere as !ell& +t can %e turned upside do!n in the !a"e of a complaint& +f she does not ha$e a stron#net!or" of friends outside of that sphere, she can %ecome hi#hly isolated& 'hose !ho she !ould ordinarily rely onfor support may ha$e mixed loyalties or may turn a#ainst her alto#ether& 'hey also may not %e free to support her for their o!n political reasons& +f the proceedin#s are confidential, she can %e isolated from potential supporters%ecause she cant %rin# it up&

@ecause its a su%(ect !hich has meanin# for a lot of people, e$en those !ho are not connected to the particular (o% or school may ha$e mixed reactions to her dilemma& 1ne ad$anta#e could %e that she !ill find out !ho her real friends at !or" or school are& Ho!e$er, she may lose some friends !hom she !ould still rather ha$e "ept&

Also, she is more in need of friends no! than usual&

'here may %e a series of intri#ues !hich continually intrude upon her a%ility to do her !or" as usual& She is no!no lon#er an ordinary student or employee, she is part of a ma(or under#round drama& She may %e called a!ayfor meetin#s !ith people hi#h up, she may #et ur#ent confidential letters and phone calls&

-ello! !omen co!or"ers may %e her %est friends or !orst enemies& 'hey ha$e the potential to %e sources of support and $alidation& +f they !ent throu#h it too, they could %ecome allies in the process& Ho!e$er, fello!



!omen may also %e the least sympathetic& 'his could %e due to internaliBed sexism, or they may e$en feelthreatened %y her, either %ecause she had the #uts to spea" up for herself, or %ecause they are (ealous for her sexual attention&

She %ecomes pu%licly sexualiBed, a !al"in# icon of misplaced amorous attentions& +s she attracti$e enou#h to #etin trou%le o$erI

Additional effects in the aftermath of spea"in# up

Suppressed an#er she is cast as the a##ressor she may feel she must come across as non threatenin# and asnon an#ry as possi%le& She is pressured to sho! carin# for the accused, and compassion for his pli#ht& Ho!e$er,throu#h her $arious stru##les, she !ill %ecome stron#er and !ill "no! herself %etter& 1pportunities to really ta"e astand on !hat one %elie$es in are rare, and e$en if undesira%le, they can ha$e positi$e effects as !ell& She is onthe front line of a %attle for !omens ri#hts& Another si#nificant effect can arise from the outcome& +n many cases,she may ha$e paid a tremendous price for nothin#&

'he Effects of Sexual Harassment on 'he ?or"place or School En$ironment

'he impact on the !or"place Sexual harassment has %een lin"ed to decreased (o% satisfaction, and can lead to aloss of staff and expertise %ecause of resi#nations to a$oid harassment, or %ecause of resi#nations or firin#s of alle#ed harassers& E$ery year, hundreds of millions of dollars are lost in producti$ity %ecause of effects such asemployee a%senteeism to a$oid harassment, and increased team conflict in en$ironments !here harassment is

occurrin#& 'he increased team conflict also leads to pro%lems !ith team cohesion and less success in meetin#financial #oals& 'he "no!led#e that harassment is permitted can undermine ethical standards, and discipline inthe or#aniBation& ;re"el !rites, JOstaff lose respect for, and trust in, their seniors !ho indul#e in, or turn a %lindeye to, sexual harassment&K +f the pro%lem is i#nored, a companyPs ima#e can suffer amon#st clients, employees,potential customers, and the #eneral pu%lic& Health care costs can increase %ecause of the health conse)uencesof harassment, not to mention the le#al costs if a $ictim files a la!suit after complaints are i#nored or mishandled&

'he impact in school +n educational en$ironments !here sexual harassment is occurrin#, the impact can %esimilar to that of the !or"place increased a%senteeism %y students to a$oid harassment, increased studentturno$er as students lea$e to escape harassment conflict amon#st students !hen harassment is presentdecreased producti$ity and performance, andNor decreased participation in school acti$ities, as students mustfocus on, and strate#iBe a%out, !ays to deal !ith the harassment, or %ecause of the psycholo#ical effects of harassment& 'he same loss of trust in the ethical standards of a company can also occur at school, leadin#

students, staff, parents, and the #eneral pu%lic can lose respect for, and trust in, the institution if nothin# is done toimpro$e the situation&

;sycholo#ical -actors in Sexual Harassment

Assessment of Emotional -actors in Sexual Harassment * +n personal in(ury cases, there is usually physicaltrauma, in addition to emotional trauma, %ut in sexual harassment cases, the most si#nificant harm to theindi$idual is psycholo#ical& 'here are other dama#es, such as loss of (o% or promotional opportunities, loss of payfor days not !or"ed, and dama#e to reputation, %ut the psycholo#ical impact of sexual harassment can %e $eryse$ere and sometimes permanent&

?hile psycholo#ists may offer an opinion re#ardin# the connection %et!een a traumatic e$ent and emotionalin(ury in an accident, that is less clear in sexual harassment& 'he emotional trauma experienced %y the $ictim of sexual harassment is %ased on perceptions a%out the %eha$ior of others %y the $ictim& ;sycholo#ists are not)ualified to determine if sexual harassment too" place, %ecause that is a le#al )uestion, not a psycholo#ical one&Ho!e$er, psycholo#ists can offer an opinion re#ardin# !hether a particular action %y one indi$idual canreasona%ly lead to emotional distress in another indi$idual& Most of the time, psycholo#ists are as"ed to e$aluate$ictims of sexual harassment to assess !hether they are exhi%itin# any psycholo#ical distress, and !hether thatdistress appears to %e related to specific e$ents on the part of another person& 'he court must then decide!hether those actions !ere appropriate or le#al&

Are !e splittin# hairsI Some indi$iduals misinterpret harmless, reasona%le %eha$ior as malicious and specificallydirected at themsel$es& ia#nostically this is called ideas of reference& 'his !ould su##est an indi$idual !ithsome type of psycholo#ical pro%lem !ho o$erreacts to reasona%le %eha$ior %ecause of their o!n perception of the !orld and the other person& 'his often occurs in indi$iduals !ith personality disorders, paranoid disorders, or other psycholo#ical pro%lems that mi#ht in$ol$e delusions or extreme exa##erations of ne#ati$e e$ents in their

li$es& 'herefore, psycholo#ical e$aluations in sexual harassment cases also focus on the expectations of the$ictim, and !hether the $ictim presents !ith psycholo#ical symptoms !hich result in exa##erated ne#ati$econclusions a%out others&

-or example, a persons %oss is of a different sex than the person& 'he !or"er %elie$es that the %oss is sexist anddiscriminates a#ainst the !or"ers sex& 'he !or"er re)uests to !or" on a specific pro(ect, %ut is not chosen& 'he!or"er assumes the choice !as %ased on sexist %eha$ior, rather than merit or chance& 'he !or"er experiences anum%er of e$ents li"e this o$er time, and feels harassed %ecause of it, resultin# in depression& +s this sexualharassmentI 'he ans!er depends on many factors, such as alternati$e reasons for not selectin# the !or"er,!hether the !or"er !as selected positi$ely on other occasions, !hether other indi$iduals had credentials !hichled to choosin# them instead, and !hether other indi$iduals of the same sex as the !or"er experienced similar pro%lems and perceptions&



;sycholo#ists are experts in human %eha$ior& +n addition to e$aluatin# the presence or a%sence of psycholo#icaldisorders, psycholo#ists may also offer opinions re#ardin# !hether a persons expectations are reasona%le,%ased on the circumstances& Many psycholo#ical pro%lems result !hen !e expect people to treat us in anunrealistically positi$e !ay& 'hese cases are not clear cut, %ecause they are not %ased solely on the identificationof a psycholo#ical pro%lem& Ultimately, the court !ill decide !hether there is sufficient e$idence to conclude thatsexual harassment too" place&

SEQUA4 HA.ASSME/' +/ 'HE ?1.;4ACE A ;.+ME.

%y

@A.. S& .1@E.'S 2.+CHA. A& MA//<

espite !idespread pu%licity a%out the perils of sexual harassment,5 sur$eys demonstrate that many %usinessesoperatin# in the United States ha$e yet to address the pro%lem& Moreo$er, recent ne!s reports indicate thatsexual harassment has reached the hi#hest le$els of mana#ement&8 Althou#h %usinesses "no! it exists, theyappear unsure of !hat to do a%out it& As a result, the specter of employer lia%ility for sexual harassment continuesto loom o$er the !or"place&7

-ailure to adopt a pro*acti$e and a##ressi$e stance on this issue, ho! e$er, can result not only in costly la!suits,

%ut also in a loss of employee morale, decline in producti$ity, and an erosion of a companys pu%lic ima#e& 'hat%usinesses are still ta"in# chances may reflect a failure to ade)uately consider the ris"s&

'his may pro$e costly %ecause these ris"s ha$e su%stantially increased in recent years& +n 99, Con#ressamended 'itle D++ to permit $ictims of sexual harassment to reco$er dama#es 3includin# puniti$e dama#es6 under federal la!&9 Moreo$er, in 99< the U&S& Supreme Court %roadened the reach of this la! %y ma"in# it easier topro$e in(ury&0 As a result, sexual harassment in the !or"place presents a clear and present dan#er to%usinesses& 'hey must no! act or face increasin# ris" of lia%ility&

'o act !isely, companies need to understand the !hole issue of sexual harassment& 'hey need to consider thedistur%in# statistics %ehind an often hidden pro%lem, the le#al #rounds a$aila%le to $ictims, the current trends inthe la!, and the !ays that companies can protect themsel$es&

'his Article is a primer for attorneys to use !hen ad$isin# their clients on ho! to address sexual harassment inthe !or"place& ?e !ill %e#in %y descri%in# the scope and se$erity of the sexual harassment pro%lem& 'hen !e!ill examine the recently stren#thened federal la! #o$ernin# sexual harass ment in the !or"place& -inally, !e !illsu##est policies and procedures for esta%lishin# and implementin# a sexual harassment policy&

+S'U.@+/: S'A'+S'+CS

1n*the*(o% sexual harassment is not a recent pro%lem, althou#h le#al lia%ility for it is& 'he American courtsystem did not decide the first sexual harassment case under 'itle D++ until 978&2 Moreo$er, the !ider pu%licappears not to ha$e fully appreciated the pro%lems scope until 99, !hen the Senate udiciary Committee heldhearin#s on Anita Hills char#es a#ainst Supreme Court nominee Clarence 'homas&

+n 978, the same year that the istrict Court of the istrict of Colum%ia resol$ed the first 'itle D++ sexualharassment case, a .ed%oo" ma#aBine poll found that nine out of ten !omen said they had %een su%(ected toun!anted sexual ad$ances at !or"&< +n 90, the federal #o$ernment sur$eyed its o!n employees and foundthat forty*t!o percent of !omen stated they had experienced some form of !or"*related sexual harassment&5 3+naddition, fifteen percent of men reported such harassment&6 ?hen the federal #o$ernment loo"ed at the sameissue se$en years later, the num%ers had not chan#ed&8 Sur$eys done in the pri$ate sector re$ealed similar results&7 'hese statistics not!ithstandin#, most cases of sexual harassment still #o unreported as many asninety*fi$e percent of all such incidents may not %e %rou#ht to li#ht&

?hile the cost to $ictims is hi#h, the cost to American %usiness cannot %e o$er*estimated& +n the federal#o$ernments first sexual harassment sur$ey, it disco$ered that the #o$ernment itself had lost L9 million%et!een 97 and 90 from the effects of sexual harassment&9 +n its next sur$ey, the federal #o$ernment sa!its losses (ump to L287 million for the years 9 to 97, e$en thou#h the rate of sexual harassment had notchan#ed&20

Accordin# to ?or"in# ?oman Ma#aBine, a typical -ortune 00 corporation can expect to lose L8&7 million, in9 dollars, annually&2 4osses can result from a%senteeism, lo!er producti$ity, increased health*care costs,poor morale, and employee turno$er&22 'hese losses do not include liti#ation costs or court*a!arded dama#es&2<

Also not included is dama#e to a companys ima#e& @ad press, !hich often accompanies such cases, can cost a%usiness not only its reputation %ut also its customers and re$enues&

+n recent years, the num%er of sexual harassment cases filed !ith the E)ual Employment 1pportunityCommission 3EE1C6, as !ell as in federal and state courts, has clim%ed dramatically&25 +n 992, for example, ayear after the Anita Hill*Clarence 'homas hearin#s on Capitol Hill, the num%er of sexual harassment cases filed!ith EE1C offices across the country (umped fifty percent o$er the pre$ious year&2 Complaints a%out sexualharassment ha$e ran#ed from fosterin# of a hostile !or" en$ironment to demands for prostitution&



Althou#h men face harassment, !omen are the most li"ely $ictims& Harm caused %y sexual harassment is oftenextreme, includin# humiliation, loss of di#nity, psycholo#ical 3and sometimes physical6 in(ury, and dama#e toprofessional reputation and career&28 +ne$ita%ly, the $ictims face a choice %et!een their !or" and their self*esteem& Sometimes, they face a choice %et!een their (o%s and their o!n safety&

S'.1/:E. -EE.A4 4A?

-or years, sexual harassment $ictims !ho sou#ht relief found them sel$es in a le#al )uandary& -ederal le#islation!as on the %oo"s to protect employees from on*the*(o% discrimination, includin# sexual harassment, %ut the%enefits of pursuin# such a case !ere fe!&27 1ften, $ictims !ho spo"e out (eopardiBed their (o%s, their careers,and their reputation, !ith little re!ard&

Until 99, 'itle D++ entitled sexual harassment $ictims to collect only %ac" pay, lost !a#es and, if they had %eenforced to lea$e, to %e reinstated in their (o%s&2 /othin# !as pro$ided for pain and sufferin#& 1ften, !omen !hodid file EE1C complaints continued to %e harassed at !or", or felt compelled to )uit& +f they !on, all they #ot !erea fe! dollars and an intolera%le (o% %ac"&29 Ho!e$er, these cases !ere $ery difficult to !in&<0 Alternati$ely, the$ictims !ould file tort actions for assault, %attery, false imprisonment, and Nor intentional infliction of mentaldistress in state court&< As a result, sexual harassment $ictims found little recourse in the le#al system for their harms&

.eco#niBin# the need to stren#then the remedies for sexual harassment under 'itle D++, Con#ress amended theCi$il .i#hts Act in 99&<2 /o!, sexual harassment $ictims can reco$er compensatory dama#es %eyond %ac"pay,<< and may do so in a (ury trial&<5 Moreo$er, these dama#es can encompass future pecuniary losses,

emotional pain, sufferin#, incon$enience, mental an#uish, loss of en(oyment of life, and other nonpecuniarylosses&< ;laintiffs can also collect puniti$e dama#es, if they can demonstrate that an employer acted !ithmalice or !ith rec"less or callous indifference&<8

'he le#islation, ho!e$er, limits the sum of compensatory and puniti$e dama#es accordin# to the num%er of employees&<7 3See 'a%le +&6 /e$ertheless, sexual harassment $ictims can %rin# a claim under federal la! andcollect su%stantial amounts for harm done& 'hus, for companies operatin# in the United States, the sta"es ha$eincreased dramatically&

'A@4E 4+M+'S 1/ AMA:ES/um%er of Employeesin Company Maximum Sum of Compensatoryand ;uniti$e ama#es*00 L 0,000

0*200 L 00,00020*00 L 200,0000 or more L <00,000

Fuid ;ro Fuo

-ederal la! reco#niBes t!o different sets of le#al #rounds for claimin# sexual harassment under 'itle D++&< 'hefirst is )uid pro )uo&<9 Under the )uid pro )uo form of harassment, a person in authority, usually a super$isor,demands sexual fa$ors of a su%ordinate as a condition of #ettin# or "eepin# a (o% %enefit&50 'he second, !hich!e !ill discuss %elo!, is a hostile !or" en$ironment harassment&

EE1C #uidelines define sexual harassment #enerally as un!elcome sexual ad$ances, re)uests for sexual fa$ors,and other $er%al or physical conduct of a sexual nature&5 +n )uid pro )uo cases, the offense is directly lin"ed toan indi$iduals terms of employment or forms the %asis for employment decisions affectin# the indi$idual& Usually,such cases are easy to reco#niBe the first sexual harassment la!suit under 'itle D++ !as decided on )uid pro )uo#rounds&52

?hen such harassment occurs, the su%ordinate has the le#al ri#ht to ta"e the employer to court&5< @ecausecourts follo! the doctrine of respondent superior, the company is held strictly lia%le e$en if it had no "no!led#e of the conduct&55 +n 92, the U&S& Court of Appeals for the Ele$enth Circuit set forth the rationale for a companysstrict lia%ility in Henson $& City of undee&5 'he court reasoned

+n that case, the super$isor uses the means furnished to him %y the employer to accomplish the prohi%itedpurpose& He acts !ithin the scope of his actual or apparent authority to hire, fire, discipline or promote& & & & &@ecause the super$isor is actin# !ithin at least the apparent scope of his authority entrusted to him %y theemployer !hen he ma"es employment decisions, his conduct can fairly %e imputed to the source of hisauthority&58

'his ma"es a company responsi%le for a super$isory employees action if that employee !ields authoritydele#ated %y the corporation&57 Moreo$er, the perpetrator does not e$en ha$e to %e an employee, %ut only ana#ent for the company&5

Hostile ?or" En$ironment

-re)uently, a )uid pro )uo situation does not exist& Many sexual harassment $ictims are ne$er threatened !ithtermination or lac" of ad$ancement& .ather, they suffer repeated a%use %y a hostile !or" en$ironment, !hich isan alternati$e #round for %rin#in# a 'itle D++ sexual harassment action&59 A hostile !or" en$ironment arises !hena co*!or"er or super$isor, en#a#in# in un!elcome 0 and inappropriate sexually %ased %eha$ior, renders the!or"place atmosphere intimidatin#, hostile, or offensi$e&



+n one early case, @undy $& ac"son,2 the istrict of Colum%ia Circuit Court of Appeals characteriBed hostileen$ironment cases as presentin# a cruel trilemma&< +n @undy the $ictim had three options 36 to endure theharassment, 326 to attempt to oppose it and li"ely ma"e the situation !orse, or 3<6 to lea$e the place of employment&5 A hostile !or" en$ironment, the court held, represented discrimination under 'itle D++ andconstituted #rounds for le#al action& 1$er the next fe! years other courts follo!ed this holdin#&8

+n 98, the U&S& Supreme Court, in Meritor Sa$in#s @an" $& Dinson,7 endorsed the notion of a hostile !or"en$ironment& ;lacin# stron# emphasis on EE1C #uidelines, the Court held such sexual misconduct constitutesprohi%ited sexual harassment, e$en if it is not lin"ed directly to the #rant or denial of an economic )uid pro )uo,!here such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasona%ly interferin# !ith an indi$iduals !or" performanceor creatin# an intimidatin#, hostile, or offensi$e !or"in# en$ironment&9

'his decision set the sta#e for a %roader definition of sexual harassment& +t also #a$e rise to a de%ate o$er t!orelated issues ?hat de#ree of a%use is needed to constitute hostility that interferes unreasona%ly !ith a $ictims!or" performance, and !hat is the nature and extent of an employers lia%ility for a hostile !or" en$ironment&

?hat +s a Hostile ?or" En$ironmentI

As part of its decision in Meritor, the Supreme Court stated that a hostile !or" en$ironment constitutes #rounds for an action only !hen the conduct is un!elcome, %ased on sex, and se$ere or per$asi$e enou#h to alter theconditions of =the $ictims> employment and create an a%usi$e !or"in# en$ironment&80 'his standard raisesnumerous )uestions& ?hat is un!elcomeI ?hen is conduct %ased on sexI Are employees allo!ed to flirt on the

(o% anymoreI Can they tell off*color (o"esI ?hat happens !hen someone #ets offendedI ?ho decides !hat isappropriate, and !hat is notI Should employees %e re)uired to tolerate some minimal le$el of offensi$e sexual%eha$ior !ithin the !or"placeI

'he EE1C itself has stated, 'itle D++ does not proscri%e all conduct of a sexual nature in the !or"place&8 'heline is dra!n %et!een accepta%le sexual conduct and sexual harassment !here the conduct %ecomesun!elcome&82 Ho!e$er, as the courts continue to #rapple !ith the definition of un!elcome sexual conduct, their decisions ha$e not follo!ed a predicta%le pattern&8<

/onetheless, the courts no! #rant relief for sexual harassment far more often than they did initially& 'oday, courts!ill more li"ely find an ille#al hostile en$ironment present !hen the !or"place includes sexual propositions,porno#raphy, extremely $ul#ar lan#ua#e, sexual touchin#, de#radin# comments, or em%arrassin# )uestions or

(o"es&85 'he follo!in# cases illustrate conduct that creates a hostile !or" en$ironment&

36 +n Hall $& :us Construction Co&, a construction company hired three !omen to !or" as fla# persons or trafficcontrollers at road construction sites&8 Male co*!or"ers immediately and continually su%(ected the !omen tooutra#eous $er%al sexual a%use& 1ne of the three !omen de$eloped a s"in reaction to the sun and the mennic"named her Herpes&88 ?hen the !omen returned to their car after !or" one day, they found o%scenities!ritten in the dust on their car&87 Male co*!or"ers continuously as"ed the !oman if they !anted to en#a#e insexual intercourse or oral sex&8 +n addition to the $er%al a%use, the !omen !ere constantly su%(ected tooffensi$e and un!elcome physical contact& 1n one occasion, the men held up one of the female employees sothat the dri$er of a truc" could touch her&89 'he men su%(ected all three !oman to other types of a%use, includin#moonin# them, sho!in# them porno#raphic pictures, and urinatin# in their !ater %ottles and automo%ile #astan"s&70 'he companys super$isor !as !ell a!are of all of these acti$ities&7 'he court found this conduct$iolated 'itle D++ %ecause it !as un!elcome conduct of a sexual nature, e$en thou#h it did not contain explicitsexual o$ertones&72

326 +n .o%inson $& ac"son$ille Shipyards, +nc&, a shipyard company employed a female !elder !ho !ascontinually su%(ected to nude and partially nude pictures posted %y her male co*!or"ers&7< 'he men posted thesepictures not only in common areas, %ut also in places !here the $ictim !ould ha$e to encounter them, includin#her tool %ox&75 'he men referred to the $ictim as %a%y, su#ar, momma, and dear&7 +n addition, the men!rote o%scene #raffiti directed at the $ictim all o$er the plant&78 'he men also made numerous su##esti$e andoffensi$e remar"s to the $ictim concernin# her %ody and the pictures posted on the !alls&77 'he $ictimcomplained a%out this atmosphere of harassment on a num%er of occasions, %ut the companys super$isorypersonnel pro$ided little or no assistance&7 'he court found this conduct $iolated 'itle D++ %ecause the plaintiff %elon#ed to a protected cate#ory, !as su%(ect to un!elcome sexual harassment, the harassment !as %ased onsex, it affected a term or condition of her employment, and the employer "ne! or should ha$e "no!n a%out theharassment and failed to ta"e remedial action&79

3<6 +n ?altman $& +nternational ;aper Co&, the harassment %e#an !hen a co*!or"er %roadcast o$er the companys

pu%lic address system o%scenities a%out the female $ictim, !ho then recei$ed o$er thirty porno#raphic notes inher loc"er&0 'he men co$ered the !alls of the facility and the ele$ator !ith porno#raphic pictures and cruderemar"s concernin# the $ictim& +n addition, one of the $ictims super$isors told her that she should ha$e sex!ith a certain co*!or"er he also physically accosted her&2 Another employee told the $ictim that he !ould cutoff her left %reast and sho$e it do!n her throat&< 1n another occasion, this same employee held the $ictim o$er a stair!ell, more than thirty feet from the floor&5 1ther male employees also physically #ra%%ed and pinched the$ictim& 'he court found this conduct stated a claim of hostile en$ironment discrimination under 'itle D++, %ecauseemployees touched her in a sexual manner, directed sexual comments to!ard her, and continued to !rite sexual#raffiti hrou#hout the !or"place&

E$en thou#h these examples in$ol$ed %lue collar !or"ers, the pro%lem of sexual harassment permeates all%usinesses and reaches upper mana#ement&8 /o company or super$isor can prudently i#nore the pro%lem&



Another issue concernin# hostile en$ironment cases is !hether a $ictim may only reco$er for sexual harassmentaimed at the $ictim, or !hether she may cite examples of sex*%ased conduct directed at other employees toesta%lish her prima facie case& A num%er of courts ha$e held that incidents in$ol$in# employees other than the$ictim are rele$ant in esta%lishin# a #enerally hostile !or" en$ironment&7

+n the last fe! years, ne! rulin#s ha$e introduced another element into the fray& +n 99, the U&S& Court of Appeals for the /inth Circuit stated that sexual harassment should %e examined from the perspecti$e of !hat areasona%le !oman, not a reasona%le person, !ould find offensi$e& 'his holdin# has raised additional)uestions ?hose perspecti$e should pre$ailI ?hat is meant %y a reasona%le !omanI @y a reasona%le manI@y a reasona%le personI +f a reasona%le !oman standard is utiliBed can a male e$er %e confident of hisconductI

Althou#h the courts are toilin# o$er the details of hostile en$ironment cases, the Supreme Court remains steadfastin its $ie! that federal la! prohi%its that type of sexual discrimination& +n the 99< case of Harris $& -or"liftSystems, +nc&,9 the Supreme Court extended its rulin# in Meritor to include conduct that does not actually causepsycholo#ical in(ury&90 +n this case, the Court reaffirmed its holdin# that 'itle D++ is $iolated !hen a !or"place ispermeated !ith un!elcome discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, and insult, that is sufficiently se$ere or per$asi$eto alter the conditions of the $ictims employment and create an a%usi$e !or"in# en$ironment&9 'he Court addedthat 'itle D++ comes into play %efore the harassin# conduct leads to a ner$ous %rea"do!n& & & & Certainly 'itle D++%ars conduct that !ould seriously affect a reasona%le persons psycholo#ical !ell*%ein#, %ut the statute is notlimited to such conduct& So lon# as the en$ironment !ould reasona%ly %e percei$ed, and is percei$ed, as hostileor a%usi$e, there is no need for it to %e psycholo#ically in(urious&92 'hus, the Court apparently employed a

reasona%le person standard&9< Ac"no!led#in# that this test is not and cannot %e mathematically precise, theCourt emphasiBed that !hether a !or" en$ironment is hostile or a%usi$e can %e determined only %y loo"in# at allthe circumstances&95 'he Court pro$ided some #uidance %y notin# some factors that could %e part of thecircumstances of the case

R fre)uency of the discriminatory conduct

R se$erity of that conduct

R !hether it is physically threatenin# or humiliatin# or a mere offensi$e utterance

R !hether it unreasona%ly interferes !ith an employees !or" performance&9

'he Court additionally stated that althou#h psycholo#ical harm is rele$ant to determinin# !hether a $ictim foundthe !or" en$ironment a%usi$e, it ** li"e any other rele$ant factor ** is not re)uired&98

'his decision ma"es it easier for sexual harassment $ictims to !in la! suits usin# a hostile !or" en$ironment as#rounds for the action&97 Conse)uently, attorneys should ad$ise their clients to ta"e strin#ent steps to limit their le#al lia%ility& A%o$e all, they should explain that companies should ma"e certain their employees understand thatall sexual matters %elon# outside the !or"place&

?hen +s the Employer 4ia%leI

+n Meritor the Supreme Court sidestepped the issue of employer lia%ility for a hostile !or" en$ironment& +t deferredinstead to Con#ress, !hich it said !anted the courts to loo" to common*la! principles of a#ency la! for #uidancein this area&9 'he Court, ho!e$er, announced some #eneral parameters& +n sexual harassment cases %ased ona hostile !or" en$ironment, employers are not al!ays automatically lia%le for their super$isors conduct&99 1n theother hand, a%sence of notice re#ardin# the super$isors conduct does not necessarily insulate employers fromlia%ility&00

Since Meritor, the lo!er courts ha$e not reached entirely uniform results in applyin# a#ency la! principles tohostile en$ironment cases&0 Employers, therefore, are !ell ad$ised to o%ser$e the EE1Cs #uidelines on thisissue&02 Under these #uidelines, employers are lia%le !hen either their super$isors or a#ents create a hostileen$ironment, or if the employer "ne! or should ha$e "no!n of the sexual harassment and failed to ta"eimmediate and appropriate correcti$e action&0< Accordin# to the EE1C, employers are usually deemed to "no!of sexual harassment if it is 36 openly practiced in the !or"place 326 !ell*"no!n amon# employees or 3<6%rou#ht to the employers notice %y a $ictims filin# a char#e&05

Employers may protect themsel$es from lia%ility %y ta"in# immediate and appropriate correcti$e action& 'o do so,companies need to institute comprehensi$e, detailed, and responsi%le sexual harassment policies& Moreo$er, the

courts ha$e ad$ised employers to loo" carefully at their current #rie$ance procedures& +n Meritor, the SupremeCourt cautioned

=Employers> #eneral nondiscrimination policy did not address sexual harassment in particular, and thus did notalert employees to their employers interest in correctin# that form of discrimination& Moreo$er, the =employers>#rie$ance procedure apparently re)uired an employee to complain first to her super$isor, in this case 'aylor&Since 'aylor !as the alle#ed perpetrator, it is not alto#ether surprisin# that the =employee> failed to in$o"e theprocedure and report her #rie$ance to him&0

'he EE1C has concisely explained the principle !hen it stated that it !ill #enerally find an employer lia%le for hostile en$ironment sexual harassment %y a super$isor !hen the employer failed to esta%lish an explicit policy



a#ainst sexual harassment, and did not ha$e a reasona%ly a$aila%le a$enue %y !hich $ictims of sexualharassment could complain to someone !ith authority to in$esti#ate and remedy the pro%lem&08

-i#ure + summariBes the elements of sexual harassment under 'itle D++&

-+:U.E SEQUA4 HA.ASSME/'Sexual Misconduct

Un!elcone sexual ad$ances, re)uests for sexual fa$ors, and other $er%al or physical conduct of a sexual natureplus

Su%mission to such conduct36 is made a term or condition of employment or 326 forms a %asis for employment decisions affectin# that indi$idual or Hostile En$ironment

Employer al!ays lia%le

Conduct has purpose or effect of 36 unreasona%ly interferin# !ith !or" performance or 326 creatin# anintimidatin#, hostile, or offensi$e en$ironment

Employer lia%le if "ne! or should ha$e "no!n and failed to ta"e appropriate correcti$e action

A.ESS+/: SEQUA4 HA.ASSME/'

:i$en the hi#h sta"es in$ol$ed in sexual harassment, many employers are !oefully unprepared to protect their o!n interests, and those of their employees& espite !idespread reco#nition of sexual harassment, %usinessesare still exhi%itin# a surprisin#ly ca$alier attitude a%out the pro%lem& ?hen +nc& ma#aBine sur$eyed %usinessmana#ers in 992, for example, it found that thirty*four percent of companies said they had not e$en thou#hta%out formulatin# a !ritten sexual harassment policy&07 Moreo$er, fe!er than a )uarter said they !ould promptlyin$esti#ate a complaint&0

+n star" contrast, the courts and the EE1C ha$e repeatedly indicated that companies must ta"e affirmati$e andeffecti$e steps %oth to pre$ent sexual harassment and, !hen it occurs, to inter$ene )uic"ly&09 At the same time,

employers should ensure that male super$isors do not o$erreact %y a$oidin# all unnecessary contact !ith femalesto minimiBe the ris" of en#a#in# in sexual harassment& Such an approach discriminates unfairly a#ainst femaleemployees, and disre#ards the Supreme Court rulin#s in Meritor and Harris Conduct that is not se$ere or per$asi$e enou#h to create an o%(ecti$ely hostile or a%usi$e en$ironment an en$ironment that a reasona%leperson !ould find hostile or a%usi$e is %eyond 'itle D++s pur$ie!&0

Company ;olicy

Companies that !ant to mana#e their ris" prudently must act %efore a pro%lem occurs& 'he EE1C encoura#esemployers to ta"e all steps necessary to pre$ent sexual harassment from occurrin#, such as affirmati$ely raisin#the su%(ect, expressin# stron# disappro$al, de$elopin# appropriate sanctions, informin# employees of their ri#ht toraise, and ho! to raise, the issue of harassment under 'itle D++, and de$elopin# methods to sensitiBe allconcerned&

-irst, companies need a comprehensi$e, detailed !ritten policy on sexual harassment& 'he CE1 should issue thepolicy and ma"e it a hi#h priority of the company& Second, they need to distri%ute this policy to all !or"ers,super$isors, and e$en some non*employees& A %asic policy should set forth the follo!in#

R an express commitment to eradicate and pre$ent sexual harassment

R a definition of sexual harassment includin# %oth )uid pro )uo and hostile !or" en$ironment

R an explanation of penalties 3includin# termination6 the employer !ill impose for su%stantiated sexual harassmentconduct

R a detailed outline of the #rie$ance procedure employees should use

R additional resource or contact persons a$aila%le for consultation

R an express commitment to "eep all sexual harassment complaints and personnel actions confidential&2

'o help employees #rasp the nature of sexual harassment, companies may !ant to pro$ide their !or"ers !ithexamples of %eha$ior that they consider inappropriate& ;rofessor Catherine Macinnon ad$ises companies to!arn employees a#ainst postin# su##esti$e photo#raphs, tellin# sexual (o"es or ma"in# innuendoes, or romancin# su%ordinates&< She also su##ests that !or"ers %e ad$ised a#ainst referrin# to female employees as#irls, assi#nin# !or" accordin# to an indi$iduals #ender, or promotin# employees %ased on #ender&5 +naddition, ;rofessor Macinnon says !or"ers should %e told to refrain from re)uestin# sexual fa$ors, fromtouchin# or flirtin# !ith un!illin# or e$en !illin# su%ordinates, and from ma"in# similar un!elcome sexual



ad$ances to co*!or"ers& -inally, she says that the company should prohi%it e$eryone in the company fromretaliatin# a#ainst a !or"er !ho files a sexual harassment complaint&8

1nce a company de$elops a sexual harassment policy, it should circulate it !idely& Companies should pro$idecopies not only to ne!ly hired employees, %ut also to current ones& +n addition, companies should post copiesthrou#hout office and %rea" areas, issue periodic memos a%out the policy, and hold informal and formaldepartmental meetin#s to discuss the topic& +n particular, companies need to train their super$isors to deal !ithsexual harassment& E$en small %usinesses !ill find it useful to educate their !or"ers throu#h $ideos andseminars& Companies may also !ish to see" help from an outside consultant&

;rocedure

espite prudent measures, companies !ill al!ays face the possi%ility, if not the pro%a%ility, that sexualharassment !ill occur& Ho!e$er, as the Supreme Court indicated in Meritor, an employer #reatly impro$es itsposition %y ha$in# #rie$ance procedures that encoura#e employees to come for!ard !ith sexual harassmentcomplaints&7 4o!er courts ha$e supported this $ie! e$en more stron#ly& ?ith any #rie$ance procedure, oneelement is paramount A sexual harassment $ictim must not %e re)uired to address complaints to a super$isor !ho is in$ol$ed in, condones, or i#nores the harassment&9

Conse)uently, an effecti$e #rie$ance procedure should pro$ide the complainant !ith alternati$e routes for reportin# harassment& +n settin# up #rie$ance procedures, a company may !ant to consider that !omen lod#e the$ast ma(ority of sexual harassment complaints, and that the courts ha$e found differences of perception to exist%et!een men and !omen& As a result, an employer is %etter protected if a female employee is in$ol$ed in

assessin# sexual harassment complaints& 'hat !ay, female $ictims may %e more !illin# to come for!ard, thusenhancin# an employers a%ility to ta"e prompt and effecti$e remedial action& As !ith any #rie$ance procedure, of course, a company must maintain confidentiality, %oth for the sa"e of the $ictim and the accused&

Enforcement

E$en the most comprehensi$e sexual harassment policies and procedures are %ound to fail if a company doesnot enforce them )uic"ly, consistently, and a##ressi$ely&20 'o %e effecti$e, companies must ta"e sexualharassment seriously& 'hey need to ma"e certain that personnel responsi%le for enforcement conduct prompt,thorou#h, and documented in$esti#ations of all complaints, e$en those that appear tri$ial&2

Employers should also "eep ta%s on their super$isors& 'his can %e accomplished %y means of monthly meetin#s!ith hi#her mana#ement, unscheduled spot chec"s, or periodic sexual harassment trainin# sessions& ependin#

on mana#ement style, some %usinesses may find it useful to sur$ey su%ordinates a%out sexual harassmentissues, as a !ay to #au#e super$isors attitudes a%out the pro%lem&22 -inally, companies may !ant to screenannual data on hirin#, firin#, promotions, and compensation pac"a#es for any pattern of o$ert #ender discrimination that may also %e occurrin#&

1nce a company has recei$ed notice of sexual harassment, its lia%ility may %e reduced or eliminated dependin#on ho! promptly and effecti$ely it responds& ;rompt means precisely that under no circumstance should acompany delay an in$esti#ation of sexual harassment more than a fe! days& /ota%ly e#re#ious sexualmisconduct should %e handled immediately& ?hate$er the situation, a company should ta"e action that isreasona%ly calculated to end the harassment&2< Such action must %e directed to!ard the harasser, and mayinclude $er%al !arnin#s, !ritten !arnin#s, (o% transfers, suspension of employment, and, if necessary,termination&25

+n dealin# !ith pro%lems, companies must a$oid any measures that penaliBe the indi$idual !ho has lod#ed asexual harassment complaint& 'his can occur, for example, !hen a company transfers the complainant to a lessdesira%le position as a !ay to a$oid interaction %et!een the $ictim and the accused& As the Se$enth Circuit Courtof Appeals has !arned, A remedial measure that ma"es the $ictim of sexual harassment !orse off is ineffecti$eper se&2

A company should also %e careful not to allo! too much time to elapse %efore achie$in# a satisfactory resolutionof the harassment& 1nce matters ha$e %een %rou#ht under control, a company should continue to monitor thesituation to ensure compliance& 'o!ard this end, follo!*up inter$ie!s !ith all parties and !itnesses are hi#hlyrecommended& ?hen claims of sexual harassment cannot %e su%stantiated, an employer should still ta"e theopportunity to reemphasiBe to employees that sexual harassment !ill not %e tolerated&

Exhi%it summariBes our su##estions for addressin# sexual harassment and pro$ides #uidelines that allcompanies should consider in esta%lishin# and implementin# their sexual harassment policy&

C1/C4US+1/

Sexual harassment in the !or"place presents an on#oin# and #ro!in# ris" to %usinesses operatin# in the UnitedStates& 'oday, the time is ri#ht for %usinesses to %e#in to mana#e their ris" in this area more !isely& ;re$entin#sexual harassment in the !or"place re)uires a considera%le in$estment of time and personnel& +n the end,ho!e$er, these costs !ill %e offset %y si#nificant sa$in#s in le#al fees and health*care costs& Companies !ill also%enefit from increased !or"er producti$ity& -rom a purely %usiness perspecti$e, a company only stands to #ain if itta"es a no*nonsense, hard*line position on sexual harassment& /ot only is it the ri#ht thin# to do, it is the smartthin# to do&



:U+E4+/ES -1. A SEQUA4 HA.ASSME/' ;14+C

U/E.S'A/ SEQUA4 HA.ASSME/' Appreciate that you and your company can %e held lia%le if your employees en#a#e in sexual harassment& no!that any un!elcome sexual acti$ity tied to employment decisions or %enefits is sexual harassment& .eco#niBe thatsexual harassment may include (o"es, $ul#ar lan#ua#e, sexual innuendoes, porno#raphic pictures, sexual#estures, physical #ra%%in# or pinchin#, and other un!elcome or offensi$e physical touchin# or contact.emem%er that e$ery sexual harassment char#e is extremely serious& Comprehend that employees !ho comply!ith un!elcome sexual ad$ances can still %e $ictims of sexual harassment& .ealiBe that men as !ell as !omanmay %e sexually harassed Understand that employees may !ait a !hile %efore lod#in# sexual harassmentchar#es

C1MMU/+CA'E ;14+C+ssue a stron# policy from the CE1 a#ainst sexual harassment;ro$ide a clear definition of sexual harassment usin# examples of inappropriate %eha$ior .e$ie! the policy !ith your employees on a re#ular %asisiscuss the policy !ith all ne! employeesEnsure that third*party suppliers and customers are a!are of your sexual harassment policy

ES'A@4+SH ;.1CEU.ES Appoint a senior corporate official to o$ersee the implementation of the policy'rain your super$isors and mana#ers to reco#niBe and pre$ent sexual harassment1utline procedures to use in reportin# sexual harassment

esi#nate a personnel officer or other appropriate mana#er, rather than a direct super$isor, to recei$e sexualharassment complaints;ro$ide alternati$e routes for filin# complaintseep all sexual harassment char#es confidential

E/-1.CE ;14+CMa"e sure employees !ho %rin# char#es do not face retaliationSafe#uard the ri#hts of the accused+n$esti#ate all sexual harassment char#es )uic"ly and thorou#hlyMaintain accurate records of the in$esti#ation and the findin#s'a"e immediate action !hen sexual harassment is disco$ered or suspectediscipline appropriately any employee found to ha$e en#a#ed in sexual harassmentSafe#uard your employees from third*party !or"*related sexual harassment

Sexual Harassment +n$esti#ation

-irst and foremost, all complaints need to %e ta"en seriously and put into !ritin# to pre$ent future liti#ation& Sexualharassment policies should include instructions on complaint procedures& 'his should include !ays to circum$entthe super$isor, in case the super$isor is the one accused of sexual harassment& A prompt in$esti#ation should %eaffirmed in the policy& 'he alle#ed $ictims !ill feel more comforta%le comin# for!ard if the in$esti#ation !ill %emade !ith confidentiality, di#nity and respect&

.ecommended Fuestions 'o As" ?hen +n$esti#atin# Sexual Harassment Complaints

?ho harassed youI 3'he more senior the person, the #reater the chance the firm may #et sued&6

?hat did heNshe doI 3:et the specifics #eneralities are not sufficient&6

?hen did heNshe do itI 3-ind out if there ha$e %een repeated offenses&6

?here did it happenI 31n or off company property is a "ey fact&6

?ere there any !itnessesI 3'ry to corro%orate the employeePs story %e careful not to lead !itnesses&6

?ho else did you tellI 3'he EE1C !ill as" !ho else "ne! a%out the alle#ed harassment&6

?ho else has %een harassedI 3-ind out if the employee "no!s of anyone else !ho has suffered similar harassment&6

?hat did you do and say in responseI 3A#ain %e specific #eneralities are not sufficient&6

?hat do you !ant doneI 3ocument the ans!er in the e$ent the $ictim later claims that he or she re)uested adifferent action&6

?ould you li"e to see a counselorI 3Specifically recommend that the employee see the health insuranceco$ered counselor or a ser$ice of the Employee Assistance ;ro#ram& +f the employee refuses, document therefusal in !ritin#&6

?hat to do nextI

.e$ie! e$idence&

+nter$ie! !itnesses&



+nter$ie! co*!or"ers in the department to assess o$erall !or" en$ironment&

+nter$ie! alle#ed harasser&

etermine the $alidity of the alle#ed harassment&

+f found $alid, follo! the appropriate disciplinary action or sanctions&

ocument all information&

Cate#ory4e#al Considerations

;sycholo#ical trauma is a type of dama#e to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic e$ent& ?hen thattrauma leads to posttraumatic stress disorder, dama#e may in$ol$e physical chan#es inside the %rain and to %rainchemistry, !hich dama#e the persons a%ility to ade)uately cope !ith stress&

A traumatic e$ent in$ol$es a sin#le experience, or an endurin# or repeatin# e$ent or e$ents, that completelyo$er!helm the indi$iduals a%ility to cope or inte#rate the ideas and emotions in$ol$ed !ith that experience& 'hesense of %ein# o$er!helmed can %e delayed %y !ee"s, years, e$en decades, as the person stru##les to cope!ith the immediate circumstances&

'rauma can %e caused %y a !ide $ariety of e$ents, %ut there are a fe! common aspects& 'here is fre)uently a

$iolation of the persons familiar ideas a%out the !orld and of their human ri#hts, puttin# the person in a state of extreme confusion and insecurity& 'his is also seen !hen people or institutions depended on for sur$i$al $iolate or %etray or disillusion the person in some unforeseen !ay&=>

;sycholo#ical trauma may accompany physical trauma or exist independently of it& 'ypical causes of psycholo#ical trauma are sexual a%use, $iolence, the threat of either, or the !itnessin# of either, particularly inchildhood& Catastrophic e$ents such as earth)ua"es and $olcanic eruptions, !ar or other mass $iolence can alsocause psycholo#ical trauma& 4on#*term exposure to situations such as extreme po$erty or milder forms of a%use,such as $er%al a%use, can %e traumatic 3thou#h $er%al a%use can also potentially %e traumatic as a sin#le e$ent6&

Ho!e$er, different people !ill react differently to similar e$ents& 1ne person may experience an e$ent astraumatic !hile another person !ould not suffer trauma as a result of the same e$ent& +n other !ords, not allpeople !ho experience a potentially traumatic e$ent !ill actually %ecome psycholo#ically traumatiBed =2>

;eople !ho #o throu#h these types of extremely traumatic experiences often ha$e certain symptoms andpro%lems after!ard& Ho! se$ere these symptoms are depends on the person, the type of trauma in$ol$ed, andthe emotional support they recei$e from others& .eactions to and symptoms of trauma can %e !ide and $aried,and differ in se$erity from person to person& A traumatiBed indi$idual may experience one or se$eral of them&=<>

After a traumatic experience, a person may re*experience the trauma mentally and physically, hence a$oidin#trauma reminders, also called tri##ers, as this can %e uncomforta%le and e$en painful& 'hey may turn topsychoacti$e su%stances includin# alcohol to try to escape the feelin#s& .e*experiencin# symptoms are a si#nthat the %ody and mind are acti$ely stru##lin# to cope !ith the traumatic experience&=<>

'ri##ers and cues act as reminders of the trauma, and can cause anxiety and other associated emotions& 1ftenthe person can %e completely una!are of !hat these tri##ers are& +n many cases this may lead a person sufferin#from traumatic disorders to en#a#e in disrupti$e or self*destructi$e copin# mechanisms, often !ithout %ein# fullya!are of the nature or causes of their o!n actions& ;anic attac"s are an example of a psychosomatic response tosuch emotional tri##ers&

Conse)uently, intense feelin#s of an#er may surface fre)uently, sometimes in $ery inappropriate or unexpectedsituations, as dan#er may al!ays seem to %e present& Upsettin# memories such as ima#es, thou#hts, or flash%ac"s may haunt the person, and ni#htmares may %e fre)uent&=5> +nsomnia may occur as lur"in# fears andinsecurity "eep the person $i#ilant and on the loo"out for dan#er, %oth day and ni#ht&

'he person may not remem%er !hat actually happened !hile emotions experienced durin# the trauma may %ereexperienced !ithout the person understandin# !hy, see .epressed memory& 'his can lead to the traumatice$ents %ein# constantly experienced as if they !ere happenin# in the present, pre$entin# the su%(ect from #ainin#perspecti$e on the experience& 'his can produce a pattern of prolon#ed periods of acute arousal punctuated %yperiods of physical and mental exhaustion&=>

+n time, emotional exhaustion may set in, leadin# to distraction, and clear thin"in# may %e difficult or impossi%le&Emotional detachment, as !ell as dissociation or num%in# out, can fre)uently occur& issociatin# from thepainful emotion includes num%in# all emotion, and the person may seem emotionally flat, preoccupied, distant, or cold& 'he person can %ecome confused in ordinary situations and ha$e memory pro%lems&

Some traumatiBed people may feel permanently dama#ed !hen trauma symptoms dont #o a!ay and they dont%elie$e their situation !ill impro$e& 'his can lead to feelin#s of despair, loss of self*esteem, and fre)uentlydepression& +f important aspects of the persons self and !orld understandin# ha$e %een $iolated, the person maycall their o!n identity into )uestion&=<> 1ften despite their %est efforts, traumatiBed parents may ha$e difficultyassistin# their child !ith emotion re#ulation, attri%ution of meanin#, and containment of post*traumatic fear in the!a"e of the childs traumatiBation, leadin# to ad$erse conse)uences for the child&=8>=7> +n such instances, it is in



the interest of the parent3s6 and child for the parent3s6 to see" consultation as !ell as to ha$e their child recei$eappropriate mental health ser$ices&=edit>Situational trauma

'rauma can %e caused %y man*made and natural disasters, includin# !ar, a%use, $iolence, earth)ua"es,mechaniBed accidents 3car, train, or plane crashes, etc&6 or medical emer#encies&=edit>.esponses to psycholo#ical trauma

'here are se$eral %eha$ioral responses common to!ards stressors includin# the proacti$e, reacti$e, and passi$eresponses& ;roacti$e responses include attempts to address and correct a stressor %efore it has a noticea%leeffect on lifestyle& .eacti$e responses occur after the stress and possi%le trauma has occurred, and are aimedmore at correctin# or minimiBin# the dama#e of a stressful e$ent& A passi$e response is often characteriBed %y anemotional num%ness or i#norance of a stressor&

'hose !ho are a%le to %e proacti$e can often o$ercome stressors and are more li"ely to %e a%le to cope !ell !ithunexpected situations& 1n the other hand, those !ho are more reacti$e !ill often experience more noticea%leeffects from an unexpected stressor& +n the case of those !ho are passi$e, $ictims of a stressful e$ent are moreli"ely to suffer from lon# term traumatic effects and often enact no intentional copin# actions& 'hese o%ser$ationsmay su##est that the le$el of trauma associated !ith a $ictim is related to such independent copin# a%ilities&@etrayal trauma theory su##ests that psycho#enic amnesia is an adapti$e response to childhood a%use& ?hen aparent or other po!erful fi#ure $iolates a fundamental ethic of human relationships, $ictims may need to remain

una!are of the trauma not to reduce sufferin# %ut rather to promote sur$i$al& Amnesia ena%les the child tomaintain an attachment !ith a fi#ure $ital to sur$i$al, de$elopment, and thri$in#& Analysis of e$olutionarypressures, mental modules, social co#nitions, and de$elopmental needs su##ests that the de#ree to !hich themost fundamental human ethics are $iolated can influence the nature, form, and processes of trauma andresponses to trauma&Tennifer -reyd=>

'here is also a distinction %et!een trauma induced %y recent situations and lon#*term trauma !hich may ha$e%een %uried in the unconscious from past situations such as childhood a%use& 'rauma is often o$ercome throu#hhealin# in some cases this can %e achie$ed %y recreatin# or re$isitin# the ori#in of the trauma under morepsycholo#ically safe circumstances, such as !ith a therapist&=edit>'rauma in psychoanalysis

Main article ;sychoanalysis

-rench neurolo#ist ean*Martin Charcot ar#ued=!henI> that psycholo#ical trauma !as the ori#in of all instancesof the mental illness "no!n as hysteria& Charcots traumatic hysteria often manifested as a paralysis thatfollo!ed a physical trauma, typically years later after !hat Charcot descri%ed as a period of incu%ation&=9>

Si#mund -reud, Charcots student and the father of psychoanalysis, examined the concept of psycholo#icaltrauma throu#hout his career& ean 4aplanche has #i$en a #eneral description of -reuds understandin# of trauma, !hich $aried si#nificantly o$er the course of -reuds career An e$ent in the su%(ects life, defined %y itsintensity, %y the su%(ects incapacity to respond ade)uately to it and %y the uphea$al and lon#*lastin# effects that it%rin#s a%out in the psychical or#aniBation&=citation needed>=edit>'rauma and stress disordersMain articles ;ost*traumatic stress disorder and Complex post*traumatic stress disorder

+n times of !ar, psycholo#ical trauma has %een "no!n as shell shoc" or com%at stress reaction& ;sycholo#icaltrauma may cause an acute stress reaction !hich may lead on to posttraumatic stress disorder 3;'S6& ;'Semer#ed as the la%el for this condition after the Dietnam ?ar in !hich many $eterans returned to their respecti$ecountries demoraliBed, and sometimes, addicted to dru#s& ;sycholo#ical trauma is treated !ith therapy and, if indicated, psychotropic medications&

-ollo!in# traumatic e$ents, persons in$ol$ed are often as"ed to tal" a%out the e$ents soon after, sometimes e$enimmediately after the e$ent occurred in order to start a healin# process& 'his practice may not #arner the positi$eresults needed to reco$er psycholo#ically from a traumatic e$ent&

Dictims of traumatic occurrences !ho !ere de%riefed immediately after the e$ent in #eneral do far %etter thanothers !ho recei$ed therapy at a later time, thou#h there is also e$idence to su##est forcin# immediate de%riefin#

may distort the natural psycholo#ical healin# process&=0>

Cases on Sexual Harassment

efense that complaint !as merely a product of conspiracy 'he Commission ruled that filin# char#es for sexualharassment does not affect only the accused %ut also the complainants themsel$es, since %y filin# a complaintthey are exposed to pu%lic moc"ery& 3:ra$e Misconduct .esma, ;aulino CSC .es& 9098, 7 -e% 996



-ilipina of decent repute doctrine& J as a rule, no -ilipina of decent repute !ould pu%licly admit that she had %eencriminally a%used and ra$ished unless that is true& +t is her natural instinct to protect her honorK 3;eople $& .amil,:&.& 22<0, ecem%er 986 cited in Ale#re, Armando CSC .es& /o& 9<99, une 996

?or" ethic of a mana#erial employee JA mana#erial employee is %ound %y a more exactin# !or" ethicK 3elfin :&Dillamor $& /4.C, :&.& no& 08<5, Septem%er 2, 9956

efense that it !as a o"e J A touch on the person coupled !ith an attempt to "iss, e$en if (o"in#ly made, if un!elcome, is intimidatin# , or causes discomfort or humiliationK constitutes sexual harassment& 3;am%id,Eduardo CSC .es& /o& 98<<88 May 9986

Moti$e of complainant to %rin# respondent to (ustice J +t is !ell*settled rule in this (urisdiction that in case of rape,a !oman !ould not #o throu#h the expense, trou%le, shame and incon$enience of pu%lic trial, not to mention thescandal, em%arrassment and humiliation such action ine$ita%ly in$ites, as !ell as allo! an examination of her pri$ate parts if her moti$e is not to %rin# to (ustice the person !ho a%used her 3;eople $& Calixtro, :&.& /o&92<, 25 anuary 9996 cited in @oneo, Eladio CSC .es& 98, 27 Au#ust 9986

efense of enial Jenials if uncorro%orated %y clear and con$incin# e$idence, are ne#ati$e and self*ser$in#!hich deser$e no !ei#ht in la! and cannot %e #i$en e$identiary !ei#ht o$er the testimony of credi%le !itnesses!ho testify on the affirmati$e matters& As %et!een the positi$e declaration of the prosecution !itness andne#ati$e statements of the accused, the latter is not !orth an iota of consideration& 3;eople $& Sencil, et al& :&.&099*80, 2 1cto%er 99<6 cited in @oneo, Eladio CSC .es& 98, 27 Au#ust 9986

le#al implication of a%sence of hematoma or contusion 'he Supreme Court had ruled in $arious decisions thatthe a%sence of hematoma or contusion is not e$idence that the sexual molestation ne$er occurred, and that theforce employed need not %e so #reat that it could not %e resisted& +t is enou#h that the force employed %esufficient to consummate the act& 3@oneo, Eladio CSC .es& 98, 27 Au#ust 9986

Uncorro%orated testimony ?hile !e ha$e fre)uently held that the uncorro%orated testimony of the offendedpartyOmay %e sufficient under certain circumstances to !arrant con$iction, yet from the $ery nature of the char#eand the ease !ith !hich it may %e made and the difficulty !hich surrounds the accused in dispro$in# itOit isimperati$e that such testimony should %e scrutiniBed !ith the #reatest caution&K 3;eople $& Dillapana, 8 SC.A72 396 cited in @ela#a Allyson CSC .es& /o& 9882<, 2< Septem%er 9986

.es (udicata, as a #round for dismissin# a complaint, necessitates a pre$ious final (ud#ment in another case

%et!een the same parties in$ol$in# the same su%(ect matter and cause of action& 'he decision of ECSSecretary :loria dismissin# the case on the merits has already %ecome final, hence, it should not %e distur%ed&Since the ECS had (urisdiction o$er the su%(ect matter and the parties in$ol$ed, its decision on the matter is$alid& 3Er#uiBa, :erardo S& Sr& CSC .es& 97<8 , 27 une 9976

+naccurate affida$it J'he most honest !itnesses may ma"e mista"es sometimes, %ut such innocent lapses donot necessarily impair their credi%ility&K 'he Court further held that a testimony #i$en on the !itness stand is#i$en more !ei#ht than an affida$it ta"en ex parte %ecause the latter is almost al!ays incomplete and ofteninaccurate, sometimes due to partial su##estions and in)uiries meant to help the !itness recall circumstancesrelated to the su%(ect&

A%sence of !itnesses& 'he Commission found the complainantPs testimony to %e natural, strai#htfor!ard,spontaneous and con$incin#, and !ith details consistent !ith human nature and the ordinary course of thin#s&'he se)uence of e$ents, narrated %y the complainant and her !itnesses, disclosed the complainantPscontemporaneous and su%se)uent conduct in response to respondentPs offensi$e act and is credi%le& 'hea%sence of an eye!itness to the actual commission of the acts !as of no moment %ecause :ra$e Misconductthrou#h Sexual harassment is normally committed in the a%sence of !itnesses& 3;eople $& a%on 328 SC.A886 cited in Mollaneda, Arnold ;& CSC .es& /o& 97<277 7 uly 9976

Effect of desistance or !ithdra!al of the complaint& 'he Commission held that Section 8, .ule Q+D of the1mni%us .ules +mplementin# @oo" D of the Administrati$e Code of 97 3Executi$e 1rder /o& 2926 states thatthe desistance or !ithdra!al of the complaint does not %ar the Ci$il Ser$ice Commission from proceedin# !ith thecase& ?here there is o%$ious truth or merit to the char#es or complaint, the same should %e #i$en due course&&&Ho!e$er, the Commission reco#niBed that for the present action to continue, other sources of e$idence !ereneeded to sustain the char#e& +n the instant case, the prosecutionPs only e$idence !as the testimony of the

complainant& Since the complainantPs testimony !as no lon#er a$aila%le, the Commission had no choice %ut todismiss the complaint& 3A#ustin, ose M& CSC .es& /o& 97<9<8, Septem%er 9976

'he Ci$il Ser$ice Commission held that complainants in cases of misconduct, malfeasance or misfeasancea#ainst a pu%lic officer or employee are !itnesses and, therefore, re#ardless of their motions to dismiss or !ithdra! the complaints, the proceedin#s thereon may continue 3citin# Sy& D& Academia, 9 SC.A 706

Complaint filed %y the disciplinin# authority need not %e under oath Section 58 of @oo" D of the Administrati$eCode of 97 pro$ides that a complaint under oath is not necessary !hen the disciplinin# authority initiated theadministrati$e proceedin#s& @esides, the Supreme Court held that strict o%ser$ance of technical rules of procedure is not re)uired in administrati$e cases as lon# as the elements of fairness are not i#nored 3adu%o $&



Ci$il Ser$ice Commission, 22< C.A 7576 cited in @o%adilla, Marcelo M& CSC .es& /o& 97<90 Septem%er 997

?ho may interpose an appealI +t is a !ell settled rule in administrati$e proceedin#s that only the party ad$erselyaffected %y the decision may interpose an appeal& Section 59, @oo" D of the Administrati$e Code of 97 pro$idesthat appeals, !here allo!a%le, shall %e made %y the party ad$ersely affected %y the decision !ithin days fromreceipt thereof& 'he Supreme Court has interpreted the term Jparty ad$ersely affectedK as referrin# to the personor the respondent employee a#ainst !hom the administrati$e disciplinary case !as filed& 3CSC .es& /o& 9<89,20 une 996 cited in Cruel, 4eonides @, CSC .es& /o& 97<92, 2 1cto%er 9976

More !ei#ht is #i$en to the reaction of the $ictim 'he Commission held that

& +n sexual harassment cases, more !ei#ht is #i$en to the reaction of the $ictim than to the intent of theharasser&

2& 'he defense raised that one of the complainants !as prompted %y ill*moti$es %ecause she !as admonishedfor %ein# late for !or" is !ea" and shallo! reason to dri$e her to tell lies in$ol$in# the colle#e presidentconsiderin# that doin# so !ould ma"e her $ulnera%le to pu%lic ridicule&

<& 'he alle#ed Jloose moralsK of one of the complainants is not material to the case& ?hat is necessary in asexual harassment case is the un!elcome sexual ad$ances or other $er%al or physical conduct of sexual naturehad %een committed a#ainst the complainant& 'he #ood reputation of the $ictim is neither a )ualification for nor a

prere)uisite tot eh filin# of a sexual harassment case&

5& 'he ar#ument that the third complainant should not %e %elie$ed %ecause she neither screamed nor stru##led a#ainst the assault must fail& A youn# !oman in the threshold of !omanhood, faced !ith the samesituation, can ha$e $aryin# reactions& Some may fi#ht, others can %e petrified and paralyBed !ith shoc" andfear, considerin# that the attac" came from an unexpected source& +n the instant case, the person !ho harassedthe complainants !as someone they respected and trusted, the president of the Uni$ersity& 3@a"in#, .odolfo CSC.es& /o& 90<99 28 -e%ruary 996

Effect of ne#ati$e testimony of a !itness for the defense 'he ne#ati$e testimony of a !itness for the defensedoes not deser$e !ei#ht and credence a#ainst the positi$e testimonies of the $ictim and her !itness !ho testifiedin detail and in a strai#htfor!ard manner& 'he Supreme Court held J +n the first place, the testimony of appellantconsisted merely of denials !ithout any other e$idence to sustain his claim and defense& ?e ha$e consistently

ruled that denials if unsu%stantiated %y clear and con$incin# e$idence are ne#ati$e, self*ser$in# e$idence !hichdeser$e no !ei#ht o$er the testimony of credi%le !itnesses !ho testify on affirmati$e matters& As %et!een thepositi$e declarations of the prosecution !itness and the ne#ati$e statements of an accused, the former deser$emore credence&K 3@acsin, ioscor -& CSC .es& /o& 902 March 996

ifferent reactions 'he !or"in#s of the human mind !hen placed under emotional stress are unpredicta%le andcause different reactions that a rape $ictimPs actions are oftentimes ruled %y fear rather than reason 3;eople $s&

Ariel, 28 SC.A <<9 39986 ;eople $s& 4aya#um, 282 SC.A 207 39986 ;eople $s& :alas, 282 SC.A <69986

efense of denials Jenials, if unsu%stantiated %y clear and con$incin# e$idence, are ne#ati$e, self*ser$in#e$idence and cannot pre$ail o$er the clear, cate#orical and positi$e statements of the complainant 3;eople $&.e#allario, 220 SC.A <86& 1n the other hand, in order for an ali%i to %e #i$en full faith and credit, it must %eclearly esta%lished and must not lea$e any room for dou%t as to its plausi%ility and $erity other!ise, it cannotpre$ail o$er the positi$e testimonies of the prosecution !itnesses !ho ha$e no moti$e to testify falsely a#ainst theaccused& 3;eople $& -ernandeB, 208 SCA. 556& .espondent did not present e$idence to sho! !hycomplainant and her !itnesses !ould testify falsely a#ainst him& +n the a%sence of such e$idence, the lo#icalconclusion is that no improper moti$e existed 3;eople $& .endo)ue, 20 SC.A 7<6

/o stru##le 'hat the #irls did not shout, scream or effecti$ely stru##le a#ainst the assault or immediately telltheir parents did not diminish their credi%ility& 'he incidents happened !here they !ere isolated or alone& Sincethey are children, they !ere easily co!ed and intimidated, and !ere naturally shy and em%arrassed a%out mattersof sexuality& && @ein# the istrict Super$isor, !as someone Jthey respectedK and trusted& 'he fact that he is apu%lic educator a##ra$ates his actuations in $iolatin# minors o$er !hom he has moral ascendancy and surro#ateparental authority& 34aBona, Efren A& CSC .es& /o& 990< 8 April 999 CSC .es& /o& 992208 25 Septem%er 25, 9996

Effect of !ithdra!al of complaint 'hus, a complaint for misconduct, malfeasance or misfeasance a#ainst a pu%licofficer or employee cannot (ust %e !ithdra!n at anytime %y the complainant simply %ecause he has lost interest inthe prosecution of the case& ?here, as in the instant case, the char#es are $ery serious and are supported %ysufficient e$idence attached to the s!orn complaint itself, and the complainant $i#orously reiterates such char#esin his reply to the ans!er of the respondent, any !ithdra!al or dismissal thereof upon motion of complainant!ould not only %e suspect %ut !ould %e inimical to pu%lic interest& +f the char#es are in fact true, the #rant of amotion to dismiss %y complainant !ould hide the e$il deed committed !ith the disciplinary authority %ein# usedtherefor& 3Denie#as, romeo CSC .es& /o 99<5 < may 9996



Complainants J in real sense, the complainants in such cases are (ust !itnessesO& 3Sy $& Academia, 9 SC.A706

Moti$e to %rin# to (ustice the respondent +t !as also emphasiBed that in crimes a#ainst chastity, it is hard to%elie$e that a youn# !ould pu%licly disclose that she had %een raped or sexually a%used, and hence under#o theexpense, trou%le and incon$enience of a pu%lic in$esti#ation or trial, not to mention the scandal, em%arrassmentand humiliation such action ine$ita%ly in$ites, as !ell as allo! an examination of her pri$ate parts, if her moti$e!ere not to %rin# to (ustice the person !ho had sexually a%used her 3;eople $& .o%les , :&.& <89, 2N2N96

'he testimony of the $ictim !as #i$en full faith and credence& Accordin# to the Commission, it !ould %e hi#hlyimpro%a%le for a #irl of her a#e 3in this case, years old6 to fa%ricate a char#e so humiliatin# to herself and her family had she not %een truly su%(ected to the pain and harro!in# experience of sexual a%use& 3;ereB, 4uis CSC.es& /o& 99<77 citin# ;eople $& Ca%ilan, 287 SC.A 296

Ali%i 'he defense of ali%i to %e credi%le, he must not only pro$e his presence at another place at the time of thecommission of the offense, %ut he must also demonstrate that it !ould %e physically impossi%le for him to %e atthe scene of the offense at that particular time 3;eople $& Alcantara, 25 S.A <56&

+n$esti#ation Committee 'he +n$esti#ation Committee findin#s !ere only recommendatory and not %indin#& +tsfunction is expressly confined to the in$esti#ation of the case and the su%mission of its report andrecommendation& Under Section 5 3%6 of .epu%lic Act no& 777, the Committee has no authority to dismiss a

case filed %efore it& 3@auyot, Marleonie CSC .es& /o 992282 <0 Septem%er 9996

.espondent teacher His act of em%racin# and "issin# the complainant is clearly un%ecomin# of a pu%lic schoolteacher %ecause his position re)uires him not only to conduct himself properly %ut also to maintain a hi#h de#reeof moral upri#htness in relation to his duty of moldin# the character of his students& 'hus, any improper conduct!ill seriously impair his moral ascendancy o$er his students& 'his cannot %e treated li#htly as this constitutes a#ra$e offense deser$in# the se$erest administrati$e penalty& 3/ana, 4uis @ernardo CSC .es& 1 00*25 1cto%er 27, 20006

Separation from ser$ice 'he Supreme Court ruled that sexual harassment is a $alid cause for separation fromser$ice, and that Jit is reprehensi%le enou#h %ut more so !hen inflicted %y those !ith moral ascendancy o$er their $ictims&K 3elfin :& Dillarama $s& /ational 4a%or .elations, commission and :olden donuts, +nc :&.& no& 08<5

2 Septem%er 9956

Superior officer 'he actuations of respondent !ere a##ra$ated %y the fact that the complainant !as hissu%ordinate o$er !hom he exercised control and super$ision as executi$e (ud#e& +nstead of actin# in locoparentis o$er his su%ordinates, the respondent preyed on them, ta"in# ad$anta#e of his position and po!er inorder to carry out his lustful and lasci$ious desires& & 3 ocelyn 'alens*a%on $s& ud#e hermin E& Arceo A&M&.'*98<<8 2 uly 9986

Constitutional pro$ision on !omen /o less than the Constitution itself has expressly reco#niBed the in$alua%lecontri%ution of !omen to national de$elopment, thus, the need to pro$ide !omen !ith a !or"in# en$ironmentconduci$e to producti$ity and %efittin# their di#nity& 'he people ha$e spo"en, throu#h Con#ress, to deem conductconstitutin# sexual harassment as criminal& 'hus, the Supreme Court, in disciplinin# errin# (ud#es and courtpersonnel, can do no less& 3Sarah @& Dedana $s& ud#e Eudario @& Dalencia Adm& Mat /o& .'*98*<&Septem%er <, 99&6

ue process 1n the )uestion of due process, the JCourt found that the re)uirements thereof !ere sufficientlycomplied !ith& ue process as a constitutional precept does not al!ays and in all situations re)uire a trial typeproceedin#& ue process is satisfied !hen a person is notified of the char#e a#ainst him and #i$en an opportunityto explain or defend himself& 'he essence of due process is simply to %e heard, or as applied to administrati$eproceedin#s, an opportunity to explain onePs side, or an opportunity to see" a reconsideration of the action or rulin# complained of& 3Carlos :& 4i%res $s& /aitonal .elations Commission, et al& :&.& /o& 2<7<7& May 2,9996

SH in the !or"place Sexual harassment in the !or"place is not a%out a man ta"in# ad$anta#e of a !oman %yreason of sexual desire it is a%out po!er %ein# exercised %y a superior officer o$er his !oman su%ordinates& 'hepo!er emanates from the fact that the superior can remo$e the su%ordinate from his !or"place if the latter !ouldrefuse his amorous ad$ances& 3olanda -loralde, /ida Delasco and /ormelita Alam%ra $s& CA, CSC and ;aulino

.esma& :&r& /o 2<05, au#ust 20006

1--+CE 1- 'HE :E/E.A4 C1U/SE4:U+E4+/ES -1. +/DES'+:A'+/: SEQUA4 HA.ASSME/' C1M;4A+/'S

+& +ntroduction

'here are no uniform rules for in$esti#atin# alle#ed sexual harassment& A complaint may %e resol$ed informallyafter spea"in# !ith the complainin# party and the alle#ed harasser& +t may %e necessary to inter$ie! others andNor to re$ie! documentary material& +n all cases, sexual harassment complaints must %e addressed& Upon recei$in# acomplaint of sexual harassment, the responsi%le administrator should confer !ith the 1ffice of the :eneral



Counsel and academic or human resources administrators& ?here a matter entails alle#ed on#oin# ill treatment,the need for prompt action is indicated& +n such an instance, the administrator should immediately contact the1ffice of the :eneral Counsel& +n all cases, respect for the affected indi$iduals pri$acy and reputational interestscalls for discretion&

'hese in$esti#ation #uidelines are intended as helpful su##estions& Complaints of sexual harassment need not%e processed accordin# to these #uidelines, %ut the responsi%le administrator under the Uni$ersitys ;olicy onSexual Harassment must process e$ery sexual harassment complaint that he or she recei$es& 'he 1ffice of the:eneral Counsel !elcomes any )uestions an administrator has re#ardin# these #uidelines or any complaint of sexual harassment that the administrator recei$es&

'hese #uidelines are not intended to %e used !here a student is the alle#ed harasser, as proceedin#s under those complaints are conducted under the document called Academic -reedom for Students at Michi#an StateUni$ersity&

++& +nformal .esolution

+ndi$iduals !ho ma"e complaints of sexual harassment sometimes re)uest that the complaint %e resol$edinformally& +t may %e appropriate for the responsi%le administrator to honor this re)uest, especially if theadministrator determines that the complaint in$ol$es unprofessional or other o%(ectiona%le %eha$ior, %ut notsexual harassment& Administrators should %e cautious a%out attemptin# to resol$e complaints informally if thecomplainant has not as"ed for such a resolution the su##estion of an informal resolution may %e percei$ed %y the

complainant as pressure to drop or not pursue a sexual harassment complaint& 'here should %e a %rief record3e&#&, a memo to file6 of an informal resolution of a complaint&

+++& +n$esti#ations

A&6 +n$esti#ati$e 1$er$ie!

&6 Under the Uni$ersitys ;olicy on Sexual Harassment, the unit administrator of the alle#ed harasser 3or, if thealle#ed harasser is the unit administrator, the unit administrators superior6 has responsi%ility for processin#complaints of sexual harassment& 'his indi$idual !ill #enerally conduct the in$esti#ation of the sexual harassmentcomplaint&

+f you, as unit administrator, ha$e any dou%ts a%out your a%ility to conduct an impartial in$esti#ation of a sexual

harassment complaint, please contact the 1ffice of the :eneral Counsel and personnel administrators in Human.esources or the 1ffice of the ;ro$ost, as appropriate, a%out ha$in# another person act in your stead&

2&6 Administrati$e actions should %e underta"en deli%erately, %ut promptly&

a&6 .e$ie! applica%le Uni$ersity policies and procedures, especially the ;olicy on Sexual Harassment, and createa confidential in$esti#ation file&

%&6 /ote, preliminarily, the apparent si#nificant factual issues prepare a list of li"ely !itnesses and sources of pertinent information, e&#&, a list of records or documents that may shed li#ht on the underlyin# situation&

c&6 Confer !ith an 1ffice of the :eneral Counsel attorney, and !ith personnel administrators from Human.esources or the 1ffice of the ;ro$ost& 'he ?omens .esource Center pro$ides counselin# ser$ices to $ictimsand professional expertise to administrators&

d&6 +nter$ie! the parties and !itnesses, and examine documentary e$idence&

e&6 AnalyBe all information and prepare a report that summariBes the e$idence, states your factual findin#s and therationale for your findin#s, and states any proposed disciplinary or other personnel action to %e ta"en&

@&6 Anonymous or 'hird ;arty Complaints

+f you recei$e an anonymous complaint, encoura#e the complainant to #i$e hisNher name& +f you recei$e acomplaint from a person !ho is not the alle#ed $ictim of the alle#ed harassment, encoura#e the complainant to#et the alle#ed $ictim to come for!ard& +t is difficult to in$esti#ate a complaint, dra! conclusions a%out it, or other!ise %e helpful if you do not "no! !ho the complainant is or if the alle#ed $ictim !ill not confirm the char#e&ependin# on the e$idence pro$ided and the se$erity of the alle#ed harassment, ho!e$er, you may ha$e to

in$esti#ate an anonymous or third party complaint& +n that e$ent, contact the 1ffice of the :eneral Counsel andpersonnel administrators in Human .esources or the 1ffice of the ;ro$ost, as appropriate, for assistance&

C&6 -act :atherin#

&6 +nter$ie! the complainant& etermine !hether the complainant is comforta%le communicatin# !ith you& +f necessary, ha$e a person !ho is of the same #ender as the complainant either handle the inter$ie! or (oin you for the discussion& 4isten attenti$ely& Encoura#e the complainant to say (ust !hat happened, then as" )uestions toclarify or elicit additional information& @e supporti$e, %ut do not ma"e (ud#mental statements&

* As" !hat happened& ue to feelin#s of em%arrassment or shame, a complainant may %e reticent or imprecise inexpression& ou should see" specific information use !ho, !hat, !here, !hen, and ho! type )uestions&



* As" ho! the $ictim !as affected %y !hat happened and !hat redress sNhe !ants& +f the alle#ed harassment isse$ere, such may indicate the need for immediate action&

* As" for the names of persons !ith "no!led#e of matters related to the complaint, and of persons !ith !homcomplainant has spo"en a%out the matter&

* As" for copies of any documents !hich may pertain to the reported e$ent3s6&

* 'ell the complainant that you !ill in$esti#ate the matter& Explain other a$enues, such as the A@ procedure,that may %e a$aila%le, and explain to the complainant that you !ill respect hisNher pri$acy& o not promisea%solute confidentiality& 3ou may %e le#ally re)uired to disclose information !hich the complainant !ould prefer that you not disclose&6

* 'a"e notes& ;romptly prepare a memo summariBin# the inter$ie! and ha$e the complainant $erify its accuracy& +f the complainant #i$es you a !ritten statement, your inter$ie! notes !ill supplement the statement& As" that thecomplainant re$ie! your notes and specify, in !ritin#, needed corrections as !ell as any omitted information&

*@e careful a%out !hat you !rite do!n, especially your personal o%ser$ations& our notes and memos could %esu%poenaed in a related le#al proceedin#&

2&6 +dentify the actual issues and prepare an in$esti#ati$e plan&

* etermine the identity of other !itnesses and the order in !hich you propose to inter$ie! them&

* etermine !hat documents&, if any, should %e o%tained&

* /otify the appropriate administrati$e superior of the matter, as appropriate&

* Set a schedule that pro$ides for a prompt, %ut thorou#h, in$esti#ation&

<&6 +nter$ie! the alle#ed harasser&

* Ad$ise that an alle#ation of sexual harassment has come to your attention&

* 'ell the alle#ed harasser that you are responsi%le for in$esti#atin# the matter&

* State the alle#ations !ithout ma"in# (ud#mental comments&

* +t !ill almost al!ays %e necessary to identify the complainant to the alle#ed harasser at this time& +f thecomplainant has re)uested confidentiality and you %elie$e that you can honor that re)uest and still conduct a fair and thorou#h in$esti#ation, contact the 1ffice of the :eneral Counsel %efore inter$ie!in# the alle#ed harasser&

* As" the alle#ed harasser for hisNher $ie!s re#ardin# the complaint& As" !ho, !hat, !here, and ho! )uestions toelicit specific details rele$ant to the e$ents alle#ed %y the complainant& 34et the alle#ed harasser tell the facts inhis or her o!n !ords&6

* 1%tain names of !itnesses and specification of documents that the alle#ed harasser thin"s may %e helpful toyour understandin#&

* Ad$ise the alle#ed harasser that the Uni$ersity prohi%its retaliation of any "ind& 'ell the respondent to a$oidcontact !ith the complainant, and that in all e$ents he or she may not communicate !ith the complainant a%outthe su%(ect of the complaint !hile the matter is under re$ie!&

* 'a"e notes& ;romptly prepare a memo summariBin# the inter$ie!& Ha$e the alle#ed harasser $erify its accuracy,in the same manner as !ith the complainant&

5&6 +nter$ie! other !itnesses&

* Ad$ise the !itness that you are conductin# a confidential in$esti#ation into an alle#ation of sexual harassmentand that you understand that he or she may ha$e some information& 3+f the !itness can identify the complainin#party and alle#ed harasser, you !ill %e a%le to a$oid ha$in# to identify the parties&6

* -ind out !hat the !itness "no!s& Elicit details and see" rele$ant documents&

* 'a"e notes& ;romptly prepare a memo summariBin# the inter$ie! and ha$e the !itness $erify its accuracy&istin#uish %et!een !hat the person "no!s as a matter of firsthand "no!led#e and !hat he or she understandsfrom other sources&

&6 .e$ie! employee or student records&

* Has the complainant made similar complaints %eforeI Ha$e similar complaints %een made a#ainst the alle#edharasser %y anyone elseI

8&6 Maintain the confidentiality of the in$esti#ation&



* o not discuss the complaint or the in$esti#ation !ith anyone !ho does not need to "no! a%out it for you tocarry out the in$esti#ation& Ad$ise the complainant, the alle#ed harasser and the !itnesses that "eepin# thematter confidential !ill minimiBe the possi%ility of le#al pro%lems&

* +f the in$esti#ation lasts lon#er than you ha$e told the complainant and alle#ed harasser to expect, periodicallyad$ise them of its status and !hen you expect it to %e finished& o not tell them !hat the in$esti#ation is re$ealin#or your thou#hts a%out it, ho!e$er& .emind them of the importance of confidentiality&

&6 E$aluatin# the Situation

&6 .e$ie! and analyBe the e$idence&

* Consider the existence or lac" of corro%oratin# e$idence, as !ell as any other indicators that may %e persuasi$eto you in determinin# the factual truth& +n situations in$ol$in# alle#ed improper %eha$ior in personal interactions itcommonly occurs that there are no disinterested !itnesses& +n such a case, consider !hether the complainant toldanyone else of the harassment andNor !hether anyone o%ser$ed a chan#e in %eha$ior of either or %oth of theparties& Sometimes there is a !ritten record, such as a diary or correspondence&

* Assessin# the credi%ility of the parties and !itnesses calls for o%ser$in# attitudes and %eha$ior& A personsemotional affect can %e tellin#& 'he timin# of the complaint in relation to the occurrence of the %eha$ior may allo!for an inference a%out truthfulness& 'he reports of other persons in the !or" unit a%out the complainants and thealle#ed harassers %eha$ior may %e hi#hly informati$e&

2&6 etermine !hether sexual harassment has occurred

* ?as the su%(ect conduct sexual in natureI ?as it un!anted or un!elcomeI ?as it offensi$e from theperspecti$e of a reasona%le personI 3A complainant need not expressly re(ect an ad$ance in order for thead$ance to %e re#arded as un!elcome&6

* ecide !hether it is more li"ely than not that sexual harassment occurred or that it is not possi%le to decide thematter& 'he latter conclusion is appropriate !hen the e$idence that sexual harassment occurred and did not occur is of e)ual !ei#ht and credi%ility&

<&6 etermine !hat action should %e ta"en to resol$e the complaint and ensure that any harassment !ill end andnot reoccur& @oth remedial action and disciplinary action may %e necessary& ecisions re#ardin# discipline should

%e made in consultation !ith Human .esources or Academic Human .esources, and the 1ffice of the :eneralCounsel, as appropriate&

* ependin# upon the nature and seriousness of the alle#ations, and the results of the in$esti#ation, consider !ritten reprimands, re)uired counselin#, demotion to the non*super$isory duties, reassi#nment, suspension,dischar#e, or other options&

* 'ransfers to other positions may %e considered& ?hether the complainant or harasser is to %e transferredre)uires close attention& 'ransferrin# the complainant may %e construed as unla!ful retaliation& 'a"e intoconsideration the complainants desires&

E&6 ;reparation of a .eport isposin# of -actual +ssues and Statin# ;ersonnel Actions

* ;repare a !ritten report, includin# a chronolo#ical rendition of the factual findin#s, the action to %e ta"en, andthe rationale for any actions or proposed actions& 'he report should contain the follo!in# elements

* a description of the complaint and the circumstances of your learnin# a%out it, to include !hen you first learnedof it

* a summary of the inter$ie!s of all parties and !itnesses and any documents re$ie!ed

* a conclusion as to !hether sexual harassment occurred and a statement of the supportin# rationale and, astatement of correcti$e actions or proposed actions to %e ta"en, includin# disciplinary action&

* 'he 1ffice of the :eneral Counsel should re$ie! the report %efore you finaliBe it&

-&6 Meet Separately !ith the Complainant and Alle#ed Harasser to iscuss the .eport, and ;ro$ide a Copy of it to

the Appropriate Human .esources 1ffice

&6 /otifyin# the complainant& 'he complainant should %e told of the in$esti#ati$e findin#s, !hether the alle#ationsha$e %een su%stantiated, !hat action, if any, is %ein# ta"en, and, if apropos, that the complainant should promptlyreport any further incidents of harassment or possi%le retaliation&

2&6 /otifyin# the alle#ed harasser& 'he alle#ed harasser should %e ad$ised as to the in$esti#ati$e results&

* ?here the in$esti#ation re$eals no harassment, such should %e directly stated& ?here it is determined thatsexual harassment did occur, the harasser should %e pro$ided a copy of the report and an opportunity to as" any)uestions that he or she may ha$e& ?here the alle#ations are serious, %ut it is impossi%le to determine !hether sexual harassment occurred, the alle#ed harasser should %e sent a memo statin# that the e$idence is



inconclusi$e, %ut that serious alle#ations ha$e %een made& 'he memo should iterate the su%stance of Uni$ersitypolicy on sexual harassment and ad$ise that such conduct is not tolerated %y the Uni$ersity&

:&6 .ecords

&6 Confidentiality of administrati$e file& 'he administrators in$esti#ati$e papers should %e "ept in a confidential,loc"ed file, not in the affected employees personnel file&

2&6 isciplinary records& ;apers related to disciplinary actions should %e placed in the affected employeespersonnel file in the same manner as any other disciplinary documents&

H&6 Special Situations

+mmediately contact the 1ffice of the :eneral Counsel andNor personnel administrators from Human .esources or the 1ffice of the ;ro$ost, as appropriate, for assistance if

&6 you %elie$e the complainant has "no!in#ly filed a false complaint or that the complainant, the alle#edharasser, or a !itness has "no!in#ly misled you, pro$ided false information or other!ise impeded your in$esti#ation

2&6 the alle#ed harasser attempts to retaliate a#ainst the complainant or any !itness

<&6 the confidentiality of the in$esti#ation is %reached

5&6 the complainant says that she or he only !ants to let you "no! a%out the harassment, %ut does not !ant youto do anythin# a%out it 3a re)uest that you !ill pro%a%ly not %e a%le to honor6

&6 there is a proposed chan#e durin# the in$esti#ation in the terms and conditions of the complainants or alle#edharassers employment or status in a course, pro#ram, or acti$ity, includin# any temporary chan#e

8&6 the complainant or the alle#ed harasser !ants another person, especially a la!yer, present at your inter$ie!or

7&6 there ha$e %een other sexual harassment complaints a#ainst the alle#ed harasser&

Documents

admin investigatioin Effects of Sexual Harassment.doc