In many cases, sexual harassment is a one-way street. For instance, maybe there is one female worker in an office full of male workers. They create a hostile work environment by constantly making lewd or sexual comments about their female coworker. She eventually files a harassment claim because it makes her feel unsafe going to work.
With quid pro quo sexual harassment, though, an exchange takes place. Something is being exchanged for something else in the workplace setting. This is certainly still harassment, but it may look a bit different—especially from the outside.
Promotions and job safety
One example of this is if an employee wants a promotion, and their supervisor is the one who decides if they’re going to be granted that promotion or not. Quid pro quo sexual harassment could occur if that supervisor tells the employee that they will give them the promotion in exchange for a sexual relationship outside of work. The employee is being manipulated, and their professional progress is now connected to a relationship that they may never have wanted in the first place.
In other cases, the exchange could just be related to job security. For instance, maybe the supervisor is also in charge of laying off or firing employees. They tell the employee that if they refuse to have a sexual relationship outside of work, they’ll make sure that the employee gets fired and blackballed in the industry. The employee feels like they are being coerced into the relationship just to protect their income and their job.
Quid pro quo sexual harassment can be very complex, and employees who are experiencing it must know their legal rights.