Can something be sexual harassment on the job that would not be sexual harassment in a different environment?
Yes! Why? Because the employee has to be on the job. They have to take orders from the boss. Just to say that sexual harassment is offensive does not define the problem. Something can reasonably be offensive to one person and not at all offensive to another person. First, the conduct must be offensive. If two employees have a good time exchanging sexual jokes, it would not be sexual harassment. If one employee kept telling another employee sexual jokes that the second employee found offensive, it would be sexual harassment. If two employees dated and engaged in consensual sex, this would not be sexual harassment. If one of the two then wanted to terminate the relationship, and the other used the unequal relative terms and conditions of employment of the work place to further the relationship, this would be sexual harassment. Jokes, pictures, touching, leering, unwanted requests for a date have all been found by courts to be sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can be between people of
