Workplace Harassment: What Is It,and What Should the Law Do About It?

Abstract

Workplace harassment occurs where a person subjects another in the workplace to degrading behaviour, ranging from verbal abuse or threats to actual physical violence. It is an inappropriate expression of power that adversely affects workers and their productivity, and that requires both legal and non-legal redress. This article first defines workplace harassment. It surveys the legal remedies available to victims of such harassment and explores what measures, both legal and non-legal, might be applied in the workplace to prevent such unacceptable behaviour