SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND THE WORKPLACE Introduction At one time, a boss could pretty much get away with almost anything in the workplace when it came to his employees. But these days, there are state and federal laws dealing with all kinds of issues, from disabilities to harassment based on race, color or creed, lifestyle choice, or gender. In this paper, the student has been asked to discuss a particular employment situation and legal actions taken to try to get the situation under control. For this example, sexual harassment has been selected, as it involves a specific chain from a corporate, state and federal level. Before we go over the specifics of this example case, however, let's examine the history of sexual harassment in the workplace. Background The Law Encyclopedia defines sexual harassment (as it pertains to U.S. law) as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that tends to create a hostile or offensive work environment" (Answers.com, 2008). This can include anything from an innocent remark about what a woman is wearing all the way to demanding some kind of sexual favor in return for a promotion. The key here is "offensive" or "hostile." Basically, if someone passes around an off-color joke via e-mail to office colleagues and no one takes offense, this doesn't construe harassment, as the workplace environment isn't considered hostile. Typically, if there is an intimidation or discomfort factor, it can be considered harassment. Though sexual harassment isn't anything new, it first officially entered the legal lexico