People in positions of power sometimes use their authority for inappropriate purposes. In a work environment, supervisors and business owners are among those who might try to inappropriately leverage their professional authority for personal gain.
Some professionals violate laws prohibiting sexual harassment when they decide to approach a subordinate or employee. They attempt to use their professional authority as a means of coercing or manipulating someone else into a situation they might not choose if left to their own devices.
What might start as uncomfortable flirting may eventually cross the line and become quid pro quo sexual harassment. Workers experiencing quid pro quo harassment may need help fighting back and holding their employers accountable. What kinds of behaviors might constitute quid pro quo sexual harassment?
1. Leveraging an employee’s ambition
A professional intent on climbing the corporate ladder might seek out mentorship opportunities. They might apply for promotions or try to participate in major upcoming work projects. Their goal is to optimize their career development and personal income.
A manager or even a human resources professional might try to use their authority in the workplace for personal gain. They might only agree to mentor an individual if they acquiesce to a request for a date. They might also refuse to recommend an ambitious professional unless they agree to provide certain romantic or sexual favors.
2. Threatening an employee’s position
Sometimes, quid pro quo harassment involves the threat of punishment rather than the promise of workplace benefits. Workers feel like they cannot decline advances without risking their careers.
Someone in a position to make decisions about layoffs or terminations might threaten a worker with the loss of their job or their inclusion in a layoff if they do not agree to certain demands. A worker who faces career consequences if they do not agree to perform favors for their boss may have to make untenable decisions about their professional future.
3. Protecting a worker in return for favors
Sometimes, employers leverage a worker’s difficult situation for personal benefit. If a worker is about to receive a write-up or might be placed on a performance improvement plan, someone in a position of authority could use that as leverage to request sexual favors. They may agree to make complaints or recent performance issues disappear if the worker does something in return for them.
Documenting inappropriate workplace encounters is often the first step toward combatting quid pro quo sexual harassment. Workers who assert themselves may be able to hold their employers accountable for allowing quid pro quo harassment or retaliating against the workers who report it.