Tip Sheets

Sexual Harassment: What You Need to Know

A friendly smile, a laugh shared over a joke or story—most of the time, we welcome these interactions as a routine part of our day. But when personal interactions cross a line becoming sexual, unwelcome and upsetting, they are no longer routine—they are harassing.

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is unwanted or unwelcome behaviour, sexual in nature, that has a negative effect on your work. Often, it’s an abuse of power by one person over another. But sexual harassment isn’t something you "just put up with" to keep your job or succeed in school—sexual harassment is against the law.

Whether they are men or women, sexual harassers are often people in a position of power, like an employer or a supervisor. But co-workers and clients can also be harassers. In an educational setting, the harasser could be an instructor, an administrator or a student.

Who is affected?

Anyone can experience sexual harassment. Although the majority of victims are women, women can harass men, and same-gender harassment does occur.

When is it sexual harassment?

It’s important not to confuse a workplace flirtation that both people enjoy with sexual harassment. Use your feelings as your guide. If you don’t like the behaviour—if it feels uncomfortable, humiliating or offensive to you—then that’s a strong indication it may be sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment, whether obvious or subtle, can include:

		unwelcome staring, comments or teasing
		questions or discussions about sexual activities
		offensive humour or language related to gender
		displaying or showing suggestive material
		unwanted sexual requests or demands
		unwanted physical contact or closeness such as patting, pinching, rubbing, leaning over or standing too close
		physical assault.

What impact does sexual harassment have?

Sexual harassment creates an unhealthy, unproductive atmosphere. Continued unchecked, it can affect your ability to do your work, as well as your emotional and physical health and safety. People exposed to sexual harassment can suffer from anxiety, depression, poor performance, insomnia, illness and even physical injury.

Sexual harassment can have a serious impact on important aspects of your career or your education. If you refuse to "play along" or if you report the situation, the harasser may try to get even by threatening, or actually doing, things like:

		giving you more work than you can handle
		lowering your wages or marks
		reducing your hours of work
		refusing to grant raises or promotions
		firing or failing you.

What can you do?

Don’t ignore sexual harassment. If you believe your safety is at risk, call the police.

Remember that sexual harassment isn’t your fault. How you act or how you dress doesn’t cause sexual harassment—the harasser’s behaviour does.

Your employer is legally responsible for maintaining an environment free of sexual harassment, and most educational institutions now have a sexual harassment policy. If your workplace or school has a sexual harassment policy, follow it.

Here are some other steps you can take:

		Document each experience of sexual harassment by writing down the date, time, description, the names of any witnesses and the location where the harassment took place. Continue to do this, even after you report the situation.
		Tell the harasser to stop—in person or in writing (keep a copy). Or you may want to tell your supervisor, your harasser’s supervisor, the person designated in your company’s or school’s sexual harassment policy, or your union or professional association. Provide documentation.
		Keep proof that you’re doing your job or school assignments well. Document any positive feedback or compliments you receive about your work. Keep a copy of your performance evaluations or graded assignments and tests.

Remember—you have the right to work or go to school in an environment where you feel safe and respected. If you feel you’re a victim of sexual harassment make a complaint to the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission. You must do this within one year of the event. It’s against the law for your employer to take action against you if you make your complaint in good faith.

Visit the Alberta Human Rights Commission website at www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca or call the Commission’s confidential inquiry line at

	780-427-7661 north of Red Deer
	403-297-6571 Red Deer south
	310-0000 toll free, and enter the 10-digit regional office number after the prompt.

Other Relevant Tips Communicating With Confidence Talking it Out — Resolving Conflict at Work For more, visit the TIPS home page at alis.alberta.ca/tips

Additional Reading A Guide to Rights and Responsibilities in Alberta Workplaces, Let’s Talk: A guide for resolving workplace conflicts and Positive Works II produced by Alberta Employment and Immigration. For copies of these publications:

		download an online copy or order the publication from the Publications website at alis.alberta.ca/careershop
		call the Alberta Career Information Hotline at 1-800-661-3753 toll-free or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton
		visit your local Alberta Employment and Immigration service centre. To find the centre nearest you, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline.

Last Updated: June 16, 2006