EEOC Examples of Sexual Harassment

The EEOC provides the following stipulations related to defining sexual harassment. Please note that the EEOC stresses that sexual harassment is not limited to these examples:

• The victim and harasser may be a woman or a man. (In other words, the victim does not have to be of the opposite sex; sexual harassment by someone from the same gender is still sexual harassment).
• Harassers might possibly be in positions above, below, or at the same level as the victim in the workplace chain of command. The harasser could also be from a third party. (In other words, the harasser could be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or even a non-employee).
• The victim does not have to be the person who was directly harassed. Another person (the victim) can be anyone who is affected by the offensive conduct.
• The harasser's actions or behaviors must be unwelcome. (In other words, consensual sexual language, actions, and the like do not constitute sexual harassment).

To learn more about Sexual Harassment Prevention For Employees visit our Cal/OSHA Sexual Harassment Prevention For Employees Online Training web page.