CHAPTER EIGHT - INTEGRATION AND MAINTAINACE

8.1 Employee discipline

Discipline is the regulation and modulation of human activities to produce a
controlled performance. It is to encourage employees to confirm to established
standards of job performance and to behave sensibly and safely at work. Discipline
involves the conditioning or molding of behavior by applying rewards or penalties.
Punishment serves two purposes: first, to directly punish an individual for an
offence and secondly, to set an example for others not to violate the rules and
regulations. Those employees who observe the rules and standards are rewarded;
and those who cannot stay in line with performance standards are penalized in such
a way that they can clearly learn what acceptable performance and behavior are.
Most employees recognize this system as a legitimate way to preserve order and
safety and to keep everyone working towards the same organizational goals and
standards. For most employees, self discipline is the best discipline. As often as
not, the need to impose penalties is a fault of the management as well as of the
individual worker. For that reason alone, a supervisor should resort to disciplinary
action only after all else fails. Discipline should never be used as a show of
authority or power on the supervisor’s part.
Negative Discipline: Negative discipline involves force or an outward influence. It
is the traditional aspect of discipline and is identified with ensuring that
subordinates adhere strictly to rules, and punishment is meted out in the event of
disobedience or indiscipline.
Positive Discipline: Subordinates comply with the rules not from fear of
punishment, but from the desire to cooperate in achieving the common goal of the
organization. In positive discipline willingness to comply is most important. The
emphasis here is on cooperative efforts to secure compliance to organizational
norms. It promotes emotional satisfaction instead of emotional conflict, and the
increased cooperation and coordination reduces the need for formal authority.
Indiscipline
Indiscipline refers to the absence of discipline. Indiscipline, therefore, means
nonconformity to formal and informal rules and regulations. We cannot afford

1
indiscipline as it will affect the morale, involvement and motivation of
subordinates in the organization. Indiscipline often leads to chaos, confusion, and
reduces the efficiency of the organization. It often leads to strikes, go-slow’s, and
absenteeism, resulting in loss of production and profits..
8.2 Factors Leading to Indiscipline
Various socio-economic and cultural factors play a role in creating indiscipline in
an organization. It may often arise because of poor management. Insensitive and
thoughtless words and deeds from a manager are potent reasons for subordinates to
resort to acts of indiscipline. Defective communication between you and your
subordinate also leads to conflict of various kinds.
Forms of Indiscipline
Absenteeism, insubordination, violation of organization’s rules, gambling,
incompetence, damage to machine and property, strikes, dishonesty, and other
forms of disloyalty lead to industrial indiscipline. These are all forms of
misconduct against the management. The act of an employee can become
misconduct in the following cases:
a) Where the act of a workman is inconsistent with the peaceful discharge of his
duty towards his employer;
b) Where the act of the employee makes it unsafe for the employer to retain him in
service;
c) Where the act of the employee is so immoral that all reasonable men would not
trust that employee;
d) Where the conduct of the employee is insulting and insubordinate to such a
degree as to be uncomfortable with the continuance of a superior-subordinate
relationship;
g) Where the workman is abusive or he disturbs the peace at the place of his
employment
Non-performance of duty is a serious misconduct, because it is basically
inconsistent with the obligations of employment. Under the act of negligence, an
employee fails to give full care and attention on account of which the work

2
becomes defective, and production suffers both in quantity and quality. It is a
misconduct to cause disorder on the premises, threaten or assault other employees
and use abusive language.
8.3 Purpose and Objectives of Disciplinary Action
The purpose of discipline is to encourage employees to behave sensibly at work,
where being sensible is defined as adhering to rule and regulations. In an
organization, rules and regulations serve about the same purpose that laws do in
society; discipline is called for when one of these rules or regulations is violated.
Following are some of the purposes and objectives of disciplinary action:
-To enforce rules and -To serve as an example to others to strictly follow
regulations rules
-To punish the offender. -To ensure the smooth running of the organization
-To maintain industrial -To improve working relations and tolerance.
peace.
Kinds of punishment
In case the disciplinary authority decides to punish the employee for his
misconduct, the following are the punishments, which he can impose, depending
upon the severely of the misconduct. There are two kinds of punishment:
i) Minor Punishments: minor punishments are a) Warning or Sensor; b) Fine; and
c) Withholding of increment (either with cumulative effect or non-cumulative
effect).
ii) Major Punishments: major punishments are a) Demotion; b) Discharge; and c)
Dismissal
Dissatisfaction, Complaint and Grievance
To understand what a grievance is, you must clearly be able to distinguish between
dissatisfaction, complaint and grievance.
Dissatisfaction: Anything disturbs an employee, whether or not the unrest is
expressed in words.
Complaint: A spoken or written dissatisfaction brought to the attention of the
supervisor or the shop steward.

3
Grievance: A complaint that has been formally presented to a management
representative or to a union official. A grievance is a formal dispute between an
employee and management on the conditions of employment. Grievances are
complaints that have been formally registered in accordance with the grievance
procedure. A grievance is any dissatisfaction or feeling of injustice in connection
with one’s employment situation that is brought to the attention of the
management. The features of grievance
 A grievance refers to any form of discontent or dissatisfaction with any
aspect of the organization.
 The dissatisfaction must arise out of employment and not due to personal or
family problems.
 The discontent can arise out of real or imaginary reasons. When the
employee feels that injustice has been done to him, he has a grievance. The
reasons for such a feeling may be valid or invalid, legitimate or irrational,
justifiable or ridiculous.
 Broadly speaking, thus, a grievance is traceable to perceived non-fulfillment
of one’s expectations from the organization.
A grievance may take anyone of the following forms:
a) Factual: A factual grievance arises when legitimate needs of employees remain
unfulfilled, e.g., wage hike has been agreed but not implemented citing various
reasons.
b) Imaginary: When an employee’s dissatisfaction is not because of any valid
reason but because of a wrong perception, wrong attitude or wrong information he
has. Such a situation may create an imaginary grievance. Though management is
not at fault in such instances, still it has to clear the ‘fog’ immediately.
c) Disguised: An employee may have dissatisfaction for reasons that are unknown
to himself. If he/she is under pressure from family, friends, relatives, neighbors,
he/she may reach the work spot with a heavy heart. If a new recruit gets a new
table and this may become an eyesore to other employees who have not been
treated likewise previously.

4
8.4 Causes of Grievances
a) Economic: Wage fixation, overtime, bonus, wage revision, etc. Employees may
feel that they are paid less when compared to others.
b) Work Environment: Poor physical conditions of workplace, tight production
norms, defective tools and equipment, poor quality of materials, unfair rules, lack
of recognition, etc.
c) Supervision: Relates to the attitudes of the supervisor towards the employee
such as perceived notions of bias, favoritism, nepotism, caste affiliations, regional
feelings, etc.
d) Work group: Employee is unable to adjust with his colleagues; suffers from
feelings of neglect, victimization and becomes an object of ridicule and
humiliation, etc.
e) Miscellaneous: These include issues relating to certain violations in respect of
promotions, safety methods, transfer, disciplinary rules, fines, granting leave,
medical facilities, etc.
Unit- Nine: Socialization, Mobility and Separation
Socialization refers to the process by which persons acquire the knowledge, skills,
and disposition that make them more or less able members of their society”. We
have all undergone this process many times. Certainly, significant socialization
occurs during infancy and early childhood. We are born into this world with
potential for a very wide range of behavior, but we learn from our parents and
other close associates to behave within a narrower range that is customary and
acceptable. With all of these early socialization experiences it might be thought
that the adult should easily adapt to new social situations.
Actual and anticipatory socializations are vitally important in all our lives.
However, we can look in greater depth at one important segment, organizational

5
socialization. Organizational socialization can be conceptualized as a process made
up of three stages:
Outcomes

Productivity

Pre-arrival Encounter Metamorphosis Commitment

Turnover

The pre-arrival stage explicitly recognizes that each individual enters with a set of
values, attitudes, and expectations of their own. In case of experienced people, they
come with the cultural mindset of their pervious organization. In both the cases, it
is essential to adapt them with the culture, values and functioning of the new
organization. A fresher who comes directly from the campus, has only conceptual
knowledge and some of the information regarding the functioning of the
organization during the classroom teaching. In practice, most of the things are
completely different which may not match with the expectation of these fresher’s.
In the selection process, organizations try to look for candidates who could adapt
to the culture and requirements of the organization. Hence, the candidates who
correctly anticipate the expectations of the employer are likely to be picked up by
the organization.
Encounter stage. In this stage, the individuals confront with the reality which may
be just the reverse to their expectations about their job, their co-workers, their boss,
and the organization in general. If expectations prove to have been more or less
accurate, the encounter stage merely pro vides a confirmation of the perception
gained earlier. In reverse situation, there is a culture shock that needs to be
managed. In this case, for experienced people it is essential to make them unlearn
before they learn new values, philosophies and culture. If this is not being done
properly, then the individual may feel suffocated and incline to quit the job.
The new members must work out any problems discovered during the encounter
stage. This may mean going through changes. Hence, we call this the
metamorphosis stage. We can say that the metamorphosis is complete when the
new members have become comfortable with the organization and their job. They

6
have internalized the norms and practices of the new organization and their work
groups. The new members feel accepted by their peers as trusted and valued
individuals. They are self-confident that they have the competence to complete
their job successfully. They understand the system not only their own tasks but the
rules, procedures and informally accepted practices as well.
9.2 Concept of Mobility
Mobility is an organizational activity to cope with the changing organizational
requirements like change in organizational structure, fluctuation in requirement of
organizational product, introduction of new method of work etc. It is mainly deals
with promotion and transfer.
Its main purposes are:
-To improve organizational -To maximize employee efficiency
effectiveness
-To cope with changes in operation -To ensure discipline
9.2.1 Promotion
In simpler terms, promotion refers to upward movement in present job leading to
greater responsibilities, higher status and better salary. A mere shifting of an
employee to a different job which has better working hours , better location and
more pleasant working condition does not mean promotion .The new job is a
promotion for the employee only when it carries increased responsibilities and
enhanced pay .
The purposes and advantages of promotions are to recognize employee’s
performance and commitment and motivate him towards better performance;
develop competitive spirit among employees for acquiring knowledge and skills
for higher level jobs; retain skilled and talented employees; reduce discontent and
unrest; utilize more effectively the knowledge and skills of employees; and attract
suitable and competent employees.
Promotion Procedure
Every organization should make advance plans for promotion program. A carefully
planned promotion program has four elements:

7
i) Formulation of Promotion Policy: Each organization needs to maintain a
balance between the internal sources of personnel promotion and external sources
by means of recruitment. Hence, promotion must be based on consistent, fair and
clear cut policy.
ii) Promotion Channels: Promotion channels should be identified and recorded on
paper. This process is related with job analysis and career planning of an
organization.
iii) Promotion Appraisals: The promotion of an employee is entirely dependent
upon his/her performance appraisal outcome.
iv) Centralized Records: The education, experience, skills, abilities and
evaluation of all employees should be recorded and maintained in a centralized
manner by the department of the organization, because basing on these attributes;
promotion is given to an employee.
Bases of Promotion
Promotion is given on the basis of seniority or merit or a combination of both. Let
us discuss each one as a basis of promotion.
Seniority as a basis: It implies relative length of service in the same organization.
The advantages of this are: relatively easy to measure, simple to understand and
operate, less scope for subjectivity reduces labor turnover and provides sense of
satisfaction to senior employees. Subordinates are more willing to work under and
older boss who has given many years of service to company.
It has also certain disadvantages: beyond a certain age a person may not learn,
performance and potential of an employee is not recognized, it kills ambition and
zeal to improve performance, and young and competent people get frustrated and
might leave the organization.
Merit as a basis: Merit implies the knowledge, skills and performance record of
an employee. The advantages are: motivates competent employees to work hard,
helps to maintain efficiency by recognizing talent and performance. Efficiency is
encouraged and rewarded.

8
It also suffers from certain disadvantages like: difficulty in judging merit, merit
indicates past achievement, may not denote future potential and old employees feel
insecure.
Seniority-cum-Merit as basis: As both seniority and merit as basis suffer from
certain limitations, therefore, a sound promotion policy should be based on a
combination of both seniority and merit. A proper balance between the two can be
maintained by different ways: minimum length of service may be prescribed,
relative weight age may be assigned to seniority and merit and employees with a
minimum performance record and qualifications are treated eligible for promotion,
seniority is used to choose from the eligible candidates.
9.2.2 Demotion
Demotion refers to the lowering down of the status, salary and responsibilities of
an employee. Demotion is used as a disciplinary measure in an organization. The
habitual patterns of behavior such as violation of the rules and conduct, poor
attendance record, insubordination where the individuals are demoted.
Causes of Demotion
a) Adverse business conditions: Employees may be demoted because of recession
faced by company.
b) Incompetence of the employee: It happens when an employee finds it difficult to
meet the required standard.
c) Technological changes: When employee is unable to adjust with any
technological change made by the company.
d) Disciplinary measure.
9.2.3 Transfer
A transfer is a horizontal or lateral movement of an employee from one job,
section, department, shift, plant or position to another at the same or another place
where his salary, status and responsibility are the same. The reasons for transfers
may vary from organization to organization, and from individual to individual
within organizations.

9
1. There is a shortage of employees in one department or plant because of a heavy
demand which necessitates an increase in the number of shifts or expansion of
production capacity.
2. To punish employees and/or to deal with fluctuations in work requirements
3. Correction of faulty initial placement of an employee
4. Over a period of time, the productivity of an employee may decline because of
the monotony of his/her job. To break this monotony, the employee is transferred.
5. The climate may be unsatisfactory for an employee health. He or she may
request a transfer to a different place where his/her health will not be affected by
climate.
6. Family related issues cause transfers, especially among female employees.
When they get married, the female employee wants to join their husbands, and this
fact necessitates transfers or resignations.
Types of Transfers
a) Production transfers: Such transfers are made to meet the company
requirements. The surplus employees in one department/section who are efficient
might be absorbed in other place where there is a requirement. Such transfers help
to stabilize employment.
b) Replacement transfers: This takes place to replace a new employee who has
been in the organization for a long time and thereby giving some relief to an old
employee from the heavy pressure of work.
c) Versality transfers: It is also known as rotation. It is made to develop all round
employees by moving them from one job to another. It also helps to reduce
boredom and monotony.
d) Personnel or remedial transfers: Such a transfer is made to rectify mistakes in
selection and placement. As a follow up, the wrongly placed employee is
transferred to a more suitable job.
e) Shift Transfers: This is pretty common where there is more than one shift and
when there is regularized rotation.

10
9.2.4 Separations
Separation means cessation of service with the organization for one or other
reason. It may occur due:
a) Resignation
Resignation or quit is a voluntary separation initiated by the employee. It may be
on grounds of health, marriage, better opportunities elsewhere or may be
compulsory when an employee is asked to resign to avoid termination. Some
resignations may enable the organization to rectify mistakes in hiring of employees
and to bring in fresh talent from outside.
b) Retirement
Retirement is a significant milestone in the life of an employee. It is the main cause
of separation of employees from the organization. Retirement is of three kinds:
 Compulsory Retirement: An employee must retire after attaining the specified
age.
 Premature Retirement: An employee may retire before attaining the specified
age due to bad health, physical disability, family problem, etc. He gets the full
benefit of retirement provided the management allows premature retirement.
 Voluntary Retirement: When an organization wants to cut down its operations
or to close forever, it may give an option to its employees with a certain
minimum service for voluntary retirement in return for a lump sum payment.
This type of retirement is called Golden Hand Shake.
c) Dismissal
Dismissal is the termination of services of an employee by way of punishment for
misconduct or unsatisfactory performance. Before dismissal, an employee is given
an opportunity to explain his conduct and to show the cause why he should not be
dismissed.
d) Suspension
Suspension is a serious punishment and is generally awarded only after a proper
enquiry has been conducted. For reasons of discipline, a workman may be
suspended without prejudice during the course of an enquiry. During suspension,
the employee receives a subsistence allowance.
11
e) Retrenchment
Retrenchment means permanent termination of service of an employee for
economic reasons in a going concern. Some authors defines retrenchment as the
“termination by the employer of the services of workman for any reason other than
termination of services as punishment given by way of disciplinary action, or
retirement either voluntary or reaching age of superannuation, or continued ill-
health or the closure and winding up of a business”.
f) Layoff
Layoff implies temporary removal of an employee from the payroll of the
organization due to circumstances beyond the control of the employer. It may last
for an indefinite period. But the employee is not terminated and is expected to be
called back in future. The purpose of layoff is to reduce the financial burden on the
organization when the human resources cannot be utilized profitably.
CHAPTER TEN - SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN WORK PLACE
What is sexual harassment in the work place? Everyone has an opinion on sexual
harassment. These vary from, “it is about time it was addressed!” to “what’s the
big deal!” Though there are most extreme positions, the reality for most of us, is
probably somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. But the fact makes this
such a difficult topic is that there are people at those far end of the spectrum as
well as on the more common middle ground. What spectrum?
Does this mean we can’t define sexual harassment because everyone thinks of it at
some places of the spectrum? Not exactly, though sexual harassment exists in the
eyes of the beholder in terms of degree and extent, we can have general definition
to sexual harassment.
10.1 Harassment
Someone is harassing if:
 He / she is doing things to make the other party feel uncomfortable;
 He / she is saying things to make the other party feel uncomfortable;
 He / she is putting the other party at risk in some way.

12
The harasser may pick anything that makes the harassed seem different from
him / her. Harassment may be because of: gender, race, disability, age,
looks, sexual preference, religious beliefs, family, birth place, political
beliefs (including union activities).
Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment is when someone is harassed while doing job, or on
the way to or from work. A harasser can be anyone the harassed come in
contact with because of work. That person might be a boss, supervisor,
manager, member of your board of directors, co-worker, customer, delivery
person, person in your union etc.
Harassment can happen anywhere in the workplace: in the lunchroom, in
rest and washroom areas, in staff rooms, on the production line, in an office.
Harassment may be just because the harasser doesn't get along with the
harassed. Someone might say that “you are as blind as a bat" or "retarded."
Comments like these can be harassment. Of the different kinds of
harassment sexual harassment is the major and most common.
Sexual Harassment is a form of unlawful sex discrimination. Under federal
law in the United States, sexual harassment is unwanted verbal or physical
behavior of a sexual nature that occurs in the workplace or in an educational
setting under certain conditions. Such behavior is illegal if it creates an
environment that is hostile or intimidating, if it interferes with a person’s
work or school performance, or if acceptance of the harasser’s behavior is
made a condition of employment or academic achievement.
Perceptions differ about what behaviors constitute sexual harassment.
However, typical examples of sexual harassment include sexually oriented
gestures, jokes, or remarks that are unwelcome; repeated and unwanted
sexual advances; touching or other unwelcome bodily contact; and physical
intimidation. Sexual harassment can occur when one person has power over
another and uses it to coerce the person to accept unwanted sexual attention.
If a supervisor forces an employee to have sex by threatening to fire the

13
employee, that is sexual harassment. It can also occur among peers—for
example, if coworkers repeatedly tell sexual jokes, post pornographic
photos, or make unwelcome sexual innuendos to another coworker.
In the last few decades complaints of sexual harassment have become much
more common. In several high-profile cases, prominent public officials have
been accused of sexual harassment. These cases have increased public
awareness of the issue and sparked debate concerning what types of
behavior should be considered inappropriate or unlawful.
So many people think that sexual harassment is always by males and on
females. But both men and women can be harassers or victims of sexual
harassment. However, research indicates that women are more likely to be
victims.
Sexual harassment in the work place is hence in general a form of workplace
harassment or sex discrimination by an employer (or its agent) with respect
to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. National
laws in many countries set guidelines that help define what constitutes
unlawful sexual harassment. According to these guidelines, unwelcome
sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and verbal or physical sexual
conduct constitute unlawful sexual harassment under any of the following
three conditions:
1. submission to the conduct is either implicitly or explicitly made a
term or condition of employment;
2. submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for
employment decisions; or
3. The conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering
with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive working environment.
The key element that makes the sexual behavior unlawful in each case is that
it is unwanted by the recipient. For example, sexual jokes and flirting may

14
be acceptable in the workplace under some circumstances; however, if these
behaviors are unwelcome, they may constitute sexual harassment.
10.1.2 Types of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
There are two common types of sexual harassment in the workplace, "quid-pro-
quo" and "hostile environment"
Quid-Pro-Quo Harassment
"Quid-pro-quo" is Latin for "this for that." It is a trade. When the trade is on the
basis of sex, it is illegal. Under the quid pro quo form of harassment, a person in
authority, usually a supervisor, demands sexual favors of a subordinate as a
condition of getting or keeping a job benefit. Quid-pro-quo can also include
negatives. For example, "sleep with me or you're fired" is also illegal. In these
cases, the offense is directly linked to an individual's terms of employment or
forms the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual. Usually such
cases are easy to recognize.
In that case, the supervisor uses the means furnished to him by the employer to
accomplish the prohibited purpose. He acts within the scope of his actual or
apparent authority to "hire, fire, discipline or promote." Because the supervisor is
acting within at least the apparent scope of his authority entrusted to him by the
employer when he makes employment decisions, his conduct can fairly be imputed
to the source of his authority.
This makes a company responsible for a supervisory employee's action if that
employee wields authority delegated by the corporation. Moreover, the perpetrator
does not even have to be an employee, but only an agent for the company.
Hostile Work Environment
Hostile environment sexual harassment in the workplace is a situation in which the
employer, supervisor, or co-worker does or says things that make the victim feel
uncomfortable because of his or her sex. Hostile environment sexual harassment in
the workplace does not need to include a demand for an exchange of sex for a job
benefit. It is the creation of an "uncomfortable environment". Hostile work
environment constitutes grounds for an action only when the conduct is

15
unwelcome, based on sex, and severe or pervasive enough "to alter the conditions
of [the victim's] employment and create an abusive working environment."
10.1.3 Prevalence of Sexual Harassment

Many different studies have attempted to investigate the frequency and

prevalence of sexual harassment. Surveys provide widely divergent
statistics, this wide range may be due in part to the fact that perceptions of
what constitutes sexual harassment differ among individuals and among men
and women. That is, what some people might consider acceptable behavior,
others might think of as sexual harassment.
Studies suggest that anywhere between 40-70% of women and 10-20% of
men have experienced sexual harassment in the work place. In the US
approximately 15,000 sexual harassment cases are brought to the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) each year. According to the
EEOC, the number of sexual harassment complaints filed by men has more
than tripled in recent years. Currently, approximately 11% of claims involve
men filing against female supervisors.
A telephone poll conducted by Louis Harris and Associates on 782 workers
revealed:
 31% of the female workers claimed to have been harassed at work
 7% of the male workers claimed to have been harassed at work
 100% of women claimed the harasser was a man
 59% of men claimed the harasser was a woman
 62% of targets took no action
Of the women who had been harassed:
 43% were harassed by a supervisor
 27% were harassed by an employee senior to them
 19% were harassed by a co worker at their level
 8% were harassed by a junior employee
An NGO conducted a study on sexual harassment and reports that:

16
  Sexual harassment is prevalent in organizations where the victims are
highly educated and have considerable economic leverage;
 80% of respondents report that women are treated unfairly by
supervisors, and co-workers;
 49% of employees encountered sexual harassment consequences;
10.1.4 Effects of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment often has adverse effects on the victim’s performance at work.
Both the quantity and the quality of work may suffer, as well as the employee’s
morale, attendance, and ability to work with others. Sexual harassment can cause
employers losses in productivity and can lead to greater employee turnover and use
of sick leave. The harassment can also harm the victim’s psychological and
physical well-being. One study found 96 percent of sexual harassment victims
suffer from emotional distress, and 35 percent experience physical, stress-related
problems. Typical symptoms include anger, fear, anxiety, lowered self-esteem,
depression, guilt, humiliation, embarrassment, nausea, fatigue, headaches, and
weight gain or loss.
Sexual harassment can also have indirect effects on society. Many feminist
scholars consider sexual harassment to be a form of oppression that men use to
maintain male-dominated power structures. These scholars note that sexual
harassment in school limits girls’ participation and impair their academic
achievement. Similarly, women in fields of work that men have traditionally
occupied—such as the military, law enforcement, and fire fighting—experience
higher rates of sexual harassment. Some researchers assert that regardless of
whether harassment is an intentional attempt to oppress girls and women, it
contributes to lower achievement by women in society.
10.1.5 Remedies
Both employers and employees can take some actions to reduce the prevalence and
effect of sexual harassment in the work place.
Employers can take a number of steps to minimize liability if sexual harassment
claim is filed against the organization and to prevent such claims arising in the first
place:

17
1. Issue a strong policy statement condemning such behavior. The policy
should include a workable definition of sexual harassment, spell out possible
actions against those who harass others, and make I clear that retaliatory
action against an employee who makes charges will not be tolerated.
2. Inform all employees about the policy prohibiting sexual harassment and of
their right under the policy.
3. Develop complaint procedure.
4. Establish a management response system that includes an immediate
reaction and investigation by senior management.
5. Give management training sessions with supervisors and managers to
increase their own awareness of the issue.
6. Keep thorough records of complaints, investigations, and actions taken.
7. Conduct exit interviews that uncover any complaints and that acknowledge
by signature the reasons for leaving.
8. Revise the sexual harassment policy periodically.
9. Encourage upward communication through periodic written attitude surveys,
hotlines, suggestion boxes, and other feedback procedures to discover
employees’ feeling concerning any evidence of sexual harassment.
10.2 Affirmative action
While EEO laws aim to ensure equal treatment at work, affirmative action
requires the employer to make an extra effort to hire and promote people
who belong to a protected group. Affirmative action includes taking specific
actions designed to eliminate the present effects of past discriminations.
Employees are also protected by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC), which was established through the 1964 Civil
Rights Act, Title VII. The scope of authority of the EEOC has been
expanded so that today it carries the major enforcement authority for the
following laws:
_ Civil Rights Act of 1964. Prohibits discrimination on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.
_ Civil Rights Act of 1991. Reaffirms and tightens prohibition of
discrimination.
Permits individuals to sue for punitive damages in cases
of intentional discrimination and shifts the burden of proof to the
employer.
_ Equal Pay Act of 1963. Prohibits pay differences based on sex for

18
equal work.
_ Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978. Prohibits discrimination
or dismissal of women because of pregnancy alone, and protects job
security during maternity leaves.
_ Americans with Disabilities Act. Prohibits discrimination against
individuals with physical or mental disabilities or the chronically ill,
and requires that “reasonable accommodations” be provided for the
disabled.
_ Vocational Rehabilitation Act. Prohibits discrimination on the basis
of physical or mental disabilities and requires that employees be
informed about affirmative action plans.
Most employers in the United States must comply with the provisions of
Title VII. Compliance is required from all private employers of 15 or more
persons, all educational institutions, state and local governments, public
and private employment agencies, labor unions with 15 or more members,
and

19