The tsunami of sexual harassment allegations reported on an almost-daily basis against so many rich, famous and powerful men raises a fair question: How will this affect the workplace where the not-so-rich-and-famous spend their workdays helping their company succeed? The sexual harassment incidents that happen in today’s ordinary workplace are usually more mundane than the outrageous conduct reported recently involving the Hollywood set and some in the halls of Congress. The most frequently reported complaints generally revolve around a sexually hostile environment created by one-too-many sexually explicit comments or jokes. On occasion, it may even involve unwanted touching.
Unless there is some astronomical legal judgment against an offending employer, these incidents are never the subject of television news. The more significant issue to be explored is why such incidents continue to occur in any workplace.