PACIV PUERTO RICO Virtual Webinar
Associates had the opportunity to attend a virtual conference to discuss the importance of recognizing sexual harassment at the workplace. The Webinar held on July 16th, 2021, and conducted by Maria del Rosario Abrams Guzman from the Department of Labor of Puerto Rico, took the group throughout the entire legislation behind Sexual Harassment, how to identify it, how to handle such cases and the remedies in law against these actions.
What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment in employment consists of any type of undesired sexual approach, demand for sexual favors, and any other verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature or that is reproduced by using any means of communication including, but not limited to, the use of multimedia tools through the cybernetic network or through any electronic means. Sexual Harassment can be express differently; its simpler manifestations include compliments, intensive looking at different parts of the body, and/or offensive jokes sexually related. Most incidents of sexual harassment are from men to women; however, it can be vice versa, and the laws apply equally no matter the genre.
It is the company’s responsibility to discourage and avoid sexual harassment in the workplace. For that, the company must fulfill the minimum preventive procedures established by law:
- Clearly express to his supervisors and employees that the employer has a strong policy against sexual harassment in employment.
- Put into practice the methods needed to create awareness and make the prohibition of sexual harassment in employment known.
- Give sufficient publicity in the work place so that the job applicants will know the rights and protection they are entitled to and granted
- Establish an adequate and effective internal procedure to handle sexual harassment complaints.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: If you or if you know of any associate going through any sexual harassment-related situation, please let your HR representative know immediately.
For more information, you may access these different links:
https://mujer.pr.gov/Pages/default.aspx
https://www.eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment
