One key component of many sexual harassment cases, at least when they take place on the job, is that there is a power imbalance between the two people who are involved. In most cases, the harasser has a greater level of power than the victim. They are intentionally using this position in order to harass the other person.
All workplace harassment cases are unique, but here are two examples of how this could occur.
Quid pro quo harassment
First of all, quid pro quo sexual harassment happens when an employee is offered something else in order to keep quiet about what happened or in exchange for a sexual relationship. For instance, a CEO may know that they alone have the power to give an employee a significant raise. They use this power by telling the employee they can only have the raise in exchange for sexual favors after work.
Fear of retaliation
The power imbalance can also be an issue when the victim fears retaliation if they make a report. Maybe the victim is a low-level employee who knows they could quickly be replaced. If the owner of the company is the one committing the sexual harassment, the employee may worry that they will simply be fired if they report what’s happening. They may also worry that no one will take them seriously and that everyone will just take their boss’s side.
These issues help to illustrate how and why sexual harassment takes place. Employees who have been experiencing it must know exactly what legal steps they can take at this time.