Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment includes unsolicited physical advances of a sexual nature, which cause a person to feel endangered, intimidated, or demoralized. Even more insidious, quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs in the workplace and is based on demanding sexual favors in return for job-related benefits.

Sexual harassment, which includes unsolicited physical or verbal advances of a sexual nature, can have devastating psychological effects when it causes a person to feel threatened and intimidated.

In the workplace, this often takes the form of quid pro quo sexual harassment, in which the perpetrator – typically a supervisor or superior – demands sexual favors from an employee in return for job-related benefits. The rejection of these advances can result in a loss of benefits or the victim being fired.

This type of unacceptable behavior creates a hostile work environment and constitutes workplace harassment. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 considers such harassment to be a form of sexual discrimination.

How Do You Recognize Quid Pro Sexual Harassment?
There are warning signs that a superior may be making improper sexual advances, with ulterior motives. Quid pro quo sexual harassment is comprised of two types of improper sexual conduct in the workplace:

1.    Job benefits are made contingent upon the granting of sexual favors by the employee to his or her superior or any other person in authority with an interest in the employee’s position. Such job benefits may include:

• Continued employment
• Promotions
• Salary increases
• Shift or other work assignments
• Performance expectations

2.    Rejection of sexual advances results in:

• Detrimental employment environment
• Tangible loss of job benefits such as those described above
• Demotion or wrongful termination

If you can establish that you have suffered sexual harassment in the workplace based on the criteria above, then the burden of proof is on your employer to prove that the harassment did NOT happen.

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