Employers and employees alike have more to concern themselves with than worrying about harassment. It should be a non-existent workplace issue, given that the law is unmistakably clear. So, why does it exist? I believe there are four reasons:
(1) Accidents do happen.
• Someone said something inadvertently off-color and it was overheard by an individual who took offense.
• Someone didn't know their audience and spoke “out of order.”
(2) Messages are taken out of context.
• What the person said versus what the person heard are two different things.
(3) Sexuality is alive and well in the workplace.
• And the law will never prevent the natural attraction inherent in people.
(4) Some people will push the envelope.
• For whatever reason, he or she doesn't seem to understand that harassment is against the law.
This is quite a list. At first glance, an initial thought might be, “If this is true, how do I stop it?” There are three ways to approach the issue of harassment prevention:
Three ways to control harassment
1. Educate
2. Communicate
3. Eliminate