Sexual harassment occurs in many forms and is intended to hurt or intimidate someone. It
includes making sexual comments or gestures, touching or grabbing someone in a
deliberately sexual way, asking someone to send naked pictures of themselves, pulling at
someone’s clothing and brushing up against someone in a sexual way.
Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs amongst a supervisor and subordinate in the
workplace and can take place with a candidate seeking employment and the representative
in authority. When manipulation is at play the subordinate is stuck between submitting to the
supervisor’s sexual advances or losing their job or getting the job. This form of sexual
harassment can be done using unwelcomed sexual advances, by requesting sexual favours
in return for a job or inappropriate comments.
Hostile work environment harassment also relates to unwelcomed misconduct. When this
behaviour is persistent it changes the mood or atmosphere at work, resulting in intimidating,
hostile and offensive working environment. This form of harassment occurs by when
persistent degrading terms, insults and threats are made to staff.
In an online article by News 24 that states that The Minster of Correctional Services and the
prison manager at a Western Cape prison were found liable for a social workers sexual
assault that occurred in the manager’s office at the prison during working hours. This
harassment took place when the social worker went to fetch a key from the manager’s office
as she was leaving, he told her that had an inappropriate dream about her, grabbed her and
tried to kiss her. She managed to run away and informed another colleague about the
harassment, the colleague suggested that she should report this incident. This can be seen
as quid pro quo sexual harassment because the harassment was based on sex and
unwelcome sexual advances occurred such as grabbing and kissing. This can also be seen
as a hostile work environment sexual harassment situation because the conduct was
unwelcomed, a reasonable person found the conduct hostile or offensive and happened
during working hours.
Evans, J. (n.d.). Correctional services minister, prison manager found liable for staffer’s
sexual assault. [online] News24. Available at:
https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/correctional-services-minister-prison-
manager-found-liable-for-staffers-sexual-assault-20191106 [Accessed 8 May 2021].
As seen in an online article by IOL a warden in Pollsmoor prison offered an inmate R10 to
show him her panties. This is a quid pro quo sexual harassment because the R10 offered
by the warden was a condition to a tangible economic benefit to the prisoner and asking for
the panties were based on sex.
Joseph, N. (2004). Women in jail accuse warders of sexual abuse. [online] www.iol.co.za.
Available at: https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/women-in-jail-accuse-warders-of-
sexual-abuse-209608 [Accessed 8 May 2021].
List of Refences
Evans, J. (n.d.). Correctional services minister, prison manager found liable for staffer’s
sexual assault. [online] News24. Available at:
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