It means that we have both rights and responsibilities. We are protected from discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It also means that we have a responsibility not to discriminate and harass others. We are partners in our work environment. We have a responsibility to help make it a safe and comfortable place for others. No one likes to work in a poisoned environment.

In workplaces, two of the most common areas of discrimination involve sexual harassment and inappropriate jokes. What do you think harassment means? Have you ever laughed at a joke that made you feel uncomfortable? We need to know what the limits are in both of these areas and some strategies for telling people to stop.

a woman wearing a dress

Case Study

Viktoria is a new employee at a branch of Apex Parcel Service. She complains to her supervisor that she is finding it very difficult to work in this environment. Every day as she stands and sorts parcels, she has to listen to sexist and racist jokes from six of her male co-workers. She does not find any of these jokes funny. She also does not like to look at the pin-ups of women in bikinis that they stick up on the walls.

Before going to the supervisor she politely asked the co-workers to stop this behaviour because she found it offensive. They responded that "There were more of them and why should they change anyway? They were only joking. It was harmless."

Do you agree that it was harmless? Or do you think this is a poisoned environment? What should the supervisor do? Who is responsible for changing the environment?

Quiz: Sexual Harassment at Work*

Read each case and decide if it represents harassment (√)
No harassment harassment unsure
1. The cook, acting as manager of a restaurant, repeatedly asks a waitress out on dates. After she says no, he becomes very critical of her work.
2. An employee is frequently patted on the back by a male co-worker. She has repeatedly told him to stop, but he just laughs when she gets angry.
3. A young employee fails to tell her boss that his sexual jokes and remarks are offensive, and simply quits three days later.
4. Cartoons that make fun of racial minority women are taped up on a black woman's locker. There are also other pranks played on her.
5. A supervisor says he had no intention of harassing a cleaner. He thought she enjoyed the attention, pin-up calendars and centrefolds.
6. A male supervisor often compliments the work of an aboriginal female employee. He does so in public and in private.
7. An employer is accused of harassment, but he explains that the company didn't even know that the supervisor was harassing the employees.

* Employer's Guide A Time For Action. Ontario Women's Directorate 1993