I will slap you,

A boss said this to the employee,

Now what do you think is it a workplace harassment or sexual harassment  ?

Here is why differentiating between the two matters.

Workplace Harassment:
Involves a range of detrimental behaviors that sour work environments, including:

1) Verbal:
Threatening or demeaning comments.

2) Physical:
Unwelcome physical actions or invasive behavior.

3)Psychological:
Actions that degrade someone’s mental well-being, such as ongoing criticism or intentional exclusion.

4) Cyberbullying: Hostile interactions through digital platforms.

5) Discrimination:
Unfair treatment based on race, gender, or other personal characteristics.

Example: John, despite excellent performance reviews, often feels sidelined as he’s routinely excluded from key meetings and given trivial tasks.

Sexual Harassment:
Specifically focuses on unwanted sexual advances and behaviors:

1) Unwanted Advances: Persistent, unwelcome romantic or sexual propositions.

2) Inappropriate Comments: Sexual remarks about a person’s appearance.

3) Leering: Continuous inappropriate staring.

4) Sexual Jokes: Off-color jokes or comments with a sexual undertone.

5) Unwanted Touching: Any non-consensual physical interaction.

Example: Sarah frequently endures unsolicited comments about her looks and repeated invitations from a colleague, which make her uncomfortable at work.

Understanding the nuances between sexual and workplace harassment is crucial.

As a Global HR Leader, I’m committed to educating and protecting our teams with targeted policies and training.

How does your organization address these issues ?