Final answer:
Sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual advances, conduct that interferes with job performance, and the creation of a hostile work environment. It includes quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment, and employers can be held legally responsible for it.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination and there are primarily three factors that characterize it:
- Unwelcome sexual advances or sexual conduct, which are not solicited or invited by the victim and are deemed undesirable or offensive.
- Interference with job performance, where the behavior negatively affects a victim's work or their ability to do their job.
- Creation of a hostile or intimidating work environment, where the work setting is pervaded by sexual jokes, comments, innuendos, or unwelcome physical contact that is of a sexual nature.
- Sexual harassment can include quid pro quo scenarios and hostile environment situations, and it can be perpetuated by individuals in various positions of power, not just a direct supervisor. Instances of sexual harassment have legal ramifications and can result in the employer being held responsible for not maintaining a harassment-free workplace as mandated by laws like Title IX and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.