GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – As the list of prominent men accused of sexual misconduct in the United States grows, experts are discussing what constitutes as workplace sexual harassment.
Trainer Denise Knutson of workplace ethics organization H.S. Group says some forms are easy to spot.
“If you don’t go out with me, or have this relationship with me, there will be consequences on the job.”
But she says some forms aren’t so obvious.
“Things like offensive posters, offensive jokes that may not be offensive to one person, or a group, but is offense to another.”
A local sexual assault advocate says education is key to stopping workplace sexual harassment.
“There will be one or two people that have that ‘aha’ moment and say, ‘I never thought of it that way.’”
Carrie Burke says they seen local implications from the allegations out of Hollywood and Washington D.C.
“We definitely have been feeling the effects, the ripple effect of that, again giving that victim more courage.”
The state Department of Workforce Development says there were 186 reports of sexual harassment in Wisconsin workplaces in 2016, up slightly from the year prior.
