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Sexual Harassment

What is Sexual Harassment?
DoD Policy/Definition of Sexual Harassment:

Sexual Harassment is a form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

1. submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person's job, pay or career, or
2. submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person or
3. such conduct interferes with an individual's performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

 Any person in a supervisory or command position who uses or condones implicit or explicit sexual behavior to control, influence or affect the career, pay or job of a military member or civilian employee is engaging in sexual harassment. 

Similarly, any military member or civilian employee who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comments, gestures or physical contact of a sexual nature is also engaging in sexual harassment, which is unacceptable conduct and will not be condoned or tolerated in any way.

Forms or Types of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment ranges from sexual innuendos made at inappropriate times, perhaps in the guise of humor, to coerced sexual relations.

Sexual harassment includes unwanted:

• verbal harassment or abuse

• subtle pressure for sexual activity

• pictures and posters of nude or semi-nude bodies or with a sexual message

• sexist remarks about a person's clothing, body or sexual activities

• unnecessary touching, patting or pinching

• leering or ogling of a person's body

• constant brushing against a person's body 

• physical assault and/or battery 

Harassment occurs when a person in a position to control, influence, or affect another person's job or career uses his or her authority and power: 

• to demand sexual favors accompanied by implied or overt threats concerning one's job 

• to coerce the victim into sexual relations 

• to punish the victim's refusal of sexual conduct that "unreasonably interferes with an individual's job performance." 

Harassment also includes an "intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment."

Hostile/Offensive Work Environment
The courts recognize a form of sexual harassment called hostile or offensive work environment. This environment is created by obvious sexually oriented activity by employees or supervisors. This harassment is rarely found as a result of a single event or incident. This type of harassment has been allowed to occur over an extended period of time. 

This form of sexual harassment may be found not only because the employee is the direct object of the sexually oriented attention, but can also be based on complaints from other employees who object to the offensive behavior, or feel that it may adversely affect their employment chances. The offensive/hostile work environment concerns the overallwork condition that is offensive to employees or interferes with their work.

How To Stop Unwanted Sexual Attention 
If you are receiving unwanted sexual attention, tell the person that such behavior is unwelcome. If that person does not take you seriously, the following methods are suggested for stopping the behavior.

 * Say it again. Like a broken record, you may have to repeat your objections until the unwelcome behavior stops. Continue repeating the statement until the person stops the behavior and takes your request seriously. You don't have to explain or justify why you want the person to stop. 

* Talk to your supervisor. If it is your supervisor doing the sexual harassment, talk with his or her supervisor, your EEO Point of Contact, an EEO Specialist, or the EEO Manager (in that order). 

* Write a letter to the sexual harasser and include the following:

•  a description of the unwelcome behavior 
•  the time the behavior occurred 
•  the fact that you want it stopped 
•  the warning that if the behavior does not stop,you will take further action 
•  your signature and the date 

Make a copy and give the letter to the harasser in front of a witness. 

Keep a record of pertinent facts, including the date, time, place, circumstances, act and witness, if any. 

Talk to friends, co-workers and relatives about the problem to build a strong support system.

Contact Information
Phone:     (269) 961-4002
DSN:        661-4002
Fax:         (269) 961-5168
Fax DSN: 661-5168