When it comes to workplace sexual harassment, power is a very important component to consider. This can influence these cases in a number of ways.
For one thing, some note that sexual harassment is often motivated by control. It may be a way that a supervisor or a business owner exercises their control over employees or subordinates.
In some cases, this also means that those at a high level in the business hierarchy are targeted by sexual harassment. If male coworkers are resentful of the rise of a female executive, for instance, they may use sexual harassment as a way to try to demonstrate control over her that they do not have within that hierarchy.
The role of power dynamics
Additionally, sexual harassment is often a misuse of power. These power dynamics are what make it possible.
This is why there are often cases where the employee who is committing the harassment is at a higher level in the hierarchy than the victim. The victim may not feel empowered to speak up or put a stop to it because they fear losing their job, having their wages cut, being passed over for promotions or being blackballed in the industry. The person with more power in the company is misusing it in order to commit harassment, perhaps as a display of power over those under them.
What are your legal options?
This helps to demonstrate some of the complexities of sexual harassment cases in the modern business world. If you have faced these types of issues, it is important to know what legal options you have and what steps you can take moving forward.