Sexual harassment is something that many employees experience on the job. It is illegal, but it still happens. Examples of harassment include quid pro quo arrangements – exchanging sexual favors for a promotion, for instance – hostile work environments, exploitation of power imbalances and the like. It is more common for women to face sexual harassment on the job than for men, but it can and does happen to both genders.
Interestingly, though, one study found that about a third of all employees did not know that a joke could constitute sexual harassment. In a poll, 32% of those who were asked simply did not know that this was true. But the reality is that jokes certainly can be a type of harassment, they can create a hostile work environment and they may be the grounds for a lawsuit.
Joking isn’t an excuse
This is an important fact to point out because many people will say that they were “just joking” when they are trying to make an excuse for their behavior. They may not have been joking at the time, but it’s a way for them to try to redirect the conversation.
In fact, many of these people will go on the offensive. When the sexual harassment gets reported, they will simply claim that the victim needs to “lighten up” or that they “must not have a sense of humor.” In other words, this is a form of gaslighting where they will pretend that the victim is at fault.
But, at the end of the day, inappropriate jokes are a form of sexual harassment. Workers who have faced this on the job need to know what legal steps they can take, especially if they are worried about potential retaliation and other such issues.