The first part of the article is an outline of the nature of sexual harassment, its extent and the growing awareness of it. The second part considers why there was a need for a community initiative and looks at the extent of sexual harassment in the Member States, the consequences of sexual harassment, legal remedies and the impact it has on the community's principles, including health and safety at the workplace and the competitiveness of undertakings. The third part describes various legal instruments in the EC. The fourth part analyses the European Commission Recommendation and Code of Practice on Sexual Harassment. This section also looks at the status of the Code and why some kinds of sexual harassment are excluded from legal remedy by having sexual harassment related to the Equal Treatment Directive. Some comparisons are made between UK and US case law in this context. The fifth part concerns recommendations.
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