May 14, 2008

Sexual Harassment

No matter what Harry or Susan says, there is always an element of sexual tension whenever the opposite sexes work together - no matter how big a hermit you claim to be. But where do we draw the line where it is not flirting and just plain Sexual Harassment as Michael Douglas found the hard way in Disclosure? +/-

UK recently passed new laws (LINK LINK2) to protect employees from sexual harassment. According to the amendments, the employers are now responsible to protect the welfare employees sexuality. What does that mean? Bring in the Marshall Law and put on the Big Brother policy at work? So is the employer supposed to be putting his energies to make the firm profitable or babysitting horny adults?

Interestingly, The Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations 2005 amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to provide that a person subjects a woman to harassment, including sexual harassment, if:

(a) on the ground of her sex, he engages in unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect –

(i) of violating her dignity, or

(ii) of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for her,

(b) he engages in any form of unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect—

(i) of violating her dignity, or

(ii) of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for her, or

(c) on the ground of her rejection of or submission to unwanted conduct of a kind mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b), he treats her less favourably than he would treat her had she not rejected, or submitted to, the conduct.

But that is just my argument. The laws are there to protect the female gender. In this world of equality and all (LINK), who is there to protect the males, as we see in this clip: