Sexual Harassment at Workplace: Canadian Context and Analysis

This essay examines the pervasive issue of sexual harassment in Canadian workplaces. It begins by presenting statistical data highlighting the prevalence of harassment, including verbal abuse and unwanted sexual attention, and its impact on victims' mental and physical health. The essay then delves into three key sociological explanations for this phenomenon: power relations, the influence of masculinity, and economic disparities between men and women. It argues that power imbalances, societal norms that support male dominance, and economic competition contribute to a climate where sexual harassment can thrive. Finally, the essay recommends the implementation of strong organizational policies, including clear definitions of sexual harassment, whistleblower protections, confidential reporting procedures, mandatory training programs, and a zero-tolerance approach to ensure a safe and respectful work environment. The analysis draws on various studies and surveys to support its claims, offering a comprehensive understanding of the issue and potential solutions.

Running head: SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORK
Sexual Harassment at work
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SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORK 1
Sexual harassment at workplace in Canada
In Canada, it has been found that around 19% of women along with 13% of men have
gone through harassment in their workplace. Harassment at workplace involves verbal abuse,
threat like environment, unwanted sexual intention and so on. In most of cases, sexual
harassment has found toping in the list of harassment. This harassment has a direct impact on the
health and mental situation of the individual which has experienced this kind of process at
workplace (Hango & Moyser, 2018). According to 2016 general social survey, it has been found
that verbal abuse followed by unwanted sexual attention is increasing gradually in the
organization where men and women are continuously in interacting with each other from
business operation point of view. In most of the cases, it has been seen that women experience
more sexual harassment as compared to men at the workplace. This kind of issue is not limited to
one form of organization, in fact, it can be seen in all the types of organizations it may be
political, entertainment, media, and other commercial sectors. Political and entertainment sectors
are exposed to their dark reality by many Media. A survey was conducted in Canada of around
2000 respondent in which it was found that around two-third of the respondent has faced sexual
harassment at workplace. But at the same, it was very shocking to know that 94 % of executives
were ok with issue and responded very firmly on this topic without displaying any seriousness
and said that can handle these kinds of issues (CBC news, 2018). As per the study, it has been
seen found that actual rate of harassment is high because in many cases, victim has not reported
against these incidents due to fear of losing job or career-related issues.
Three sociological explanations
Sexual harassment is usually linked with power relations. In this power relation, women
are mostly victims at workplace because they are not offered power as compared to men in the
organization. Women are mostly put in vulnerable and insecure job position intentionally in
order to exploit them by lowering their confidence.
As per the study it has been seen that one of the key cause of sexual harassment at
workplace is masculinities nature of men which is being supported by society from many years.
In fact, men were only able to gain their position in the society if they display masculinities in
their nature (Stichman, Wood & Watson, 2019). They believe that men are superior to women
and therefore they have right to control them. They have this perception in their mind that
women are meant to fulfill their sexual desire and their only occupation is to take care of family.
In addition to this, they believe that entry of women in these organization is a threat to their
traditional occupation. In fact, they are taking enter of women in organization threat to their
esteem. In some cases, these people believe that workplace culture will help these kinds of
people to fulfill their sexual desire because in most of the cases office culture is free culture.
Another aspect exposed is economics of women at the workplace. In this situation, men
believe that women are their economic competitor and hence they try to found out different ways

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT WORK 2
to harass them. As per the study, they believe that sexual harassment is the easiest ways to lower
down the morale of these competitors. This kind of harassment has been seen from past where
women were given opportunities to become part of the organization and at the time they were
called with small names like honey, sweat heart, hottie and so on. But present organization
structure does not allow these kinds of words in their work culture and has emended strict action
against (Tenbrunsel, Rees & Diekmann, 2019). Enter of women in workplace has made them
economically independent which has offered them freedom to make their decision as per their
need. At present increasing use of feminism concept at workplace has put these men in a very
uncomfortable situation because many organizations have day and night shift. In this situation,
these men are not able to meet their wife due to miss alignment of their timing and as a result of
this, they cannot spend time with their wife which trigger their body needs. In this way, they try
to full fill their desire in the form of sexual harassment at workplace (Collier & Raney, 2018).
Economic stability of women for these kinds of men are intolerance and in most of the case,
people sitting on higher position are found to be more involved in these kinds of acts in country
like Canada.
Another sociological is discriminate women on the job position. This concept is learned
by these men by birth because their bringing has been done in such societies which believe that
women must not get a higher position than men or these men have some childhood experience
related to these incidents happened in their life journey (Channon, 2018). It has been found that
these populations of men have a very clear mindset that women must be placed at a lower
position to men in so they have to take approval for every single decision. This will reduce their
independency at workplace by which these men can get the opportunity to exploit them sexually.
These men create such kind of situation around the working women especially in low pay scale
jobs that sexual harassment is normal in these jobs and therefore must not react to it (Hellgren,
2018). These people have a mindset that women work value is very less at workplace and
therefore they are being paid to maintain entertainment at workplace for the people holding a
higher position in the organization.
Recommendation policy
In this situation, one of the best options available to handle this important issue is to
develop a strong sexual harassment policy in every organization. Under this policy, a very clear
definition of sexual harassment must be defined in their organization rule book. In addition, this
policy must signify that no such activities or related activities will be tolerated on the name of
free work culture (Madera, Guchait & Dawson, 2018). This policy will also support a
whistleblower which will provide information about such activities if going on in organization it
may be political, business, entertainment and so on. This policy will have a clear direction of
filling a form related to sexual harassment which will include the name of the person, position,
time and place of harassment. All the information will be confidential use and will be shared
with HR department or department which is looking after this policy (Ram, 2018). Positional
power will be completely kept aside in case of sexual harassment so that convict cannot make

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use of their positional power to manipulate the result and a thorough investigation will be
conducted in order to ensure that convict will be punished. In addition, this policy must include a
training program in which employee will be offered training related to sexual harassment issue.
This training will include education about sexual harassment at workplace, difference between
good touch and bad touch (Cheung et al., 2018). In addition, it will also include that employees
have the basic right to complain about this kind of activities at workplace to the management and
will be informed about all the procedures related to this issue.

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References
CBC news. (2018). 19% of women, 13% of men report workplace harassment in StatsCan survey
[online]. Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/harassment-canadian-
workplace-statistics-canada-1.4949154
Channon, A. (2018). Martial arts studies and the sociology of gender: Theory, research and
pedagogical application. The martial arts studies reader, 155-170.
Cheung, H. K., Goldberg, C. B., King, E. B., & Magley, V. J. (2018). Are they true to the cause?
Beliefs about organizational and unit commitment to sexual harassment awareness
training. Group & Organization Management, 43(4), 531-560.
Collier, C. N., & Raney, T. (2018). Understanding sexism and sexual harassment in politics: A
comparison of Westminster parliaments in Australia, the United Kingdom, and
Canada. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, 25(3), 432-455.
Hango,D & Moyser, M. (2018). Harassment at Canada workplaces [online]. Retrieved from:
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2018001/article/54982-eng.htm
Hellgren, Z. (2018). Class, race–and place: immigrants’ self-perceptions on inclusion, belonging
and opportunities in Stockholm and Barcelona. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 1-19.
Madera, J. M., Guchait, P., & Dawson, M. (2018). Managers’ reactions to customer vs coworker
sexual harassment. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management, 30(2), 1211-1227.
Ram, Y. (2018). Hostility or hospitality? A review on violence, bullying and sexual harassment
in the tourism and hospitality industry. Current Issues in Tourism, 21(7), 760-774.
Stichman, A. J., Wood, M., & Watson, A. A. (2019). Assessing Student Attitudes Toward Sexual
Assault by Using a Mock Trial. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 30(1), 1-21.
Tenbrunsel, A. E., Rees, M. R., & Diekmann, K. A. (2019). Sexual harassment in academia:
Ethical climates and bounded ethicality. Annual review of psychology, 70, 245-270.