Sexual harassment is a pervasive ethical concern that occurs more frequently than commonly perceived. It is prevalent in the workplace, particularly taking severe forms and dissuading numerous women from reporting incidents. The majority of sexual harassment complaints involve women who have experienced harassment from their supervisors.
Lavonda faces several problems arising from her personal relationship with Allen. After ending the relationship, she experiences sexual harassment and bullying from him. Her problems stem from being deceived into joining the company by Allen’s false honesty and being manipulated into a relationship that was based on lies and Allen’s self-interest. The paramount challenge Lavonda confronts is the sexual harassment she endures.
In the beginning, Allen took her away from her previous job by offering her a higher salary and an opportunity to care for her mother. Allen managed to gain Lavonda’s trust early on by taking on the role of a close personal “friend” despite being her supervisor. However, it was inappropriate for Allen to allow this relationship to extend beyond the boundaries of a supervisor and subordinate and it should have remained strictly professional.
Lavonda was not aware of the policies held by this new company. Despite ending their personal relationship, Allen persisted in sexually harassing her. Lavonda had several options and potential outcomes to consider, which included her current situation and a meeting with the vice president of current affairs. She decided to approach human resources and report Allen’s sexual harassment. However, this made Lavonda uncomfortable and threatened because Karline, who was in charge of HR, was also involved with Allen and could potentially report Lavonda as well.
This left Lavonda uncertain as to what to do. If she reported Allen, she could also risk losing her job due to her relationship with her supervisor. On the other hand, she could accept Allen’s proposition to manipulate the new sales representative for him, leading to her transfer away from his management. However, this would enable Allen to persist in sexually harassing and deceiving other employees, perpetuating a harmful cycle. Ultimately, it is advisable for Lavonda to inform the Vice President about Allen’s actions and clarify that she was unaware of the company’s ethical policies.
Lavonda is requesting to be transferred to a different location or placed under the supervision of someone else due to Allen Allen’s sexual harassment and discrimination. Allen is misusing his power and influence to intimidate Lavonda and engage in inappropriate sexual behavior. Lavonda has explicitly communicated to Allen that she does not welcome his advances and urges him to cease the inappropriate touching.
(Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2008, p. 72). Allen’s actions have created a hostile work environment for Lavonda and have impacted her ability to perform her job.
Sexual harassment is a persistent and unwelcome behavior that occurs in the workplace. Women must assert themselves and communicate their discomfort to the person responsible. If the harassment continues, it should be reported without delay.
