Forbes Woman Publishes Report on ‘New’ Sexual Harassment

August 7, 2009

An article that recently appeared in the women’s section of Forbes Magazine describes the new forms of sexual harassment that men and women suffer in the workplace. The article said that the stereotypical idea of sexual harassment- “chasing the secretary around the desk”- has morphed into something much more subtle.

Nowadays, victims of sexual harassment may feel uncomfortable because of pressure from bosses for dates or because of inappropriate comments. In addition, new technology, including Facebook and text messages, can be used to send unwanted messages. Experts say that because body language can be taken out of emails or text messages, that often-innocent comments can be misconstrued.

A comment about a co-workers new haircut, in conjunction with a “winking” smiley face, can make an employee feel uncomfortable and that he or she may be experiencing sexual harassment. For this reason, individuals are encouraged to use text messages and emails strictly for business purposes and to keep personal and professional networking sites (such as Twitter vs. LinkedIn) separate.