Recognising and identifying sexual harassment

In some cases, it is immediately clear to victims that they are dealing with sexually inappropriate behaviour. In other cases, this can be more difficult to determine. Sexually suggestive remarks are often dismissed as jokes, while the person receiving them may not find them funny at all. Or you might find it funny the first time, but not the next times. Sexual harassment can occur verbally or physically. Below are some examples of sexually inappropriate behaviour in the workplace:

• Making inappropriate jokes or double entendre remarks;

• Asking unwanted intimate or personal questions;

• A colleague or employer inviting you for an intimate date;

• Making unwanted physical contact, such as squeezing someone’s buttocks or kissing, but also unwanted touching such as putting an arm around your shoulders;

• Seeking unwanted contact outside working hours, for example through social media or WhatsApp.

Because sexual harassment is usually directed at a specific individual, it can be difficult for colleagues to recognise the problem. It also often takes place outside the view of colleagues. For example, outside working hours when colleagues have already left, or in places where the perpetrator has free rein. As a result, it can be difficult for employers or colleagues to recognise sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment in the workplace may occur once, but it can also become a recurring problem. Both situations are unacceptable and sometimes punishable by law.