Blog 4: Sexual Harassment

The reading this week dealt with sexual harassment in the workplace, and when it interferes with people's future careers. While reading the Rolling Meadows Community Hospital, I was taken aback by some of the actions taken by the CEO, such as trips to attractive locations as a guise to spend time with the fellow. 

One thing that I wondered while reading the case was whether or not the act of sexual harassment actually occurred. This is because the legal definition of sexual harassment is “unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment.” While there is no question that there certain improprieties going on at the hospital, there is no clear reason to label is sexual harassment. There has been no relationship, physical or sexual, there had been no advances, unwelcome or otherwise, and there had been nothing to hinder their working relationship, until the end of her fellowship. Not until this point was there any sign of sexual harassment, and I don’t think this would qualify as a sexual harassment case whatsoever.

There were, on the other hand, ethical issues raised in this case. I believe these issues are what should be examined, such as spending lots of money on trips to conferences in expensive locations, fine dining, and upscale accommodations. He was spending unwarranted amounts of company money to satisfy his interest in spending more time with her, when their relationship should never have been more than mentor/mentee.

The CEO is being morally and ethically irresponsible on both a personal and professional level, and it should have been dealt with far before it came to this point. Still, the facts being as they are, I believe this is more of a gender discrimination case than it is a sexual harassment case, because had the fellow been male, this kind of situation would never have happened. It is ridiculous that he would jeopardize his career to protect himself from making poor decisions. What makes this particular case worse is that the CEO admitted that she was an outstanding fellow, and that she wasn’t being hired because a relationship might develop.

Sources:

http://www.equalrights.org/publications/kyr/shwork.asp