Forms Of Sexual Harassment

Q: That is the way I am reading what Mary is conveying. And that is not all right with me. I find women who knowingly engage in selling their sexual favors for jobs, job promotions, more pay, etc., are more dispicable than the men who expect tit for tat. Reason being is that these women make it that much harder for serious, professional female workers to be taken seriously in the workplace and to be rewarded for genuinely work oriented achievements. The men who accept the favors make it just as hard for serious, professional emale workers to be taken seriously in the workplace and to be rewarded for genuinely work oriented achievements. The problem would be solved if the men just said "no". As long as there are bimbos out there willing to blow someone for a job, why is any guy going to say no?

A: Your approach would prohibit perfectly benign sexual expression. It will never work and should be vigorously opposed. In a 12JUL98 piece, columnist Betsy Hart describes a typical high-rung/low-rung relationship and describes exactly why she is glad it took place during a pre- prohibition period With the recent court decisions on sexual harassment, I wonder what would be their implications for one case in particular: She was a young woman when she worked for him as his temporary secretary. He was a salesman several years older. After a few weeks she moved on to work for another salesman in the same company, and about that time her first boss asked her out. Was it coercive? Perhaps she felt he might impair her future job prospects if she didn't say yes. Perhaps the situation was becoming a "hostile work environment" for her. Whew! I'm just thankful this particular instance is from 1950, not 1998. Because the two people involved in

this case were my parents. They were married for 43 years (until Mom died) and had five children and a wonderful life together. A hostile work place *is* , by definition, a form of sexual harassment. It's a term of art used to describe certain working conditions. If qualified people don't get jobs because others who are less qualified are advanced based on sexual favors they have provided, then the work environment is *very* hostile for those who were passed by. It's also hostile for those who are approached to provide these favors, and for those who are coerced into providing them--which is quid pro quo harassment. Lars, you may not like it, but that's the law.