Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace: Education
This document is an educational overview on the topic of sexual misconduct in the workplace. If you have experienced an incident of sexual misconduct in your workplace, see our Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace: Get Help resource.
Wellesley Career Education is here to connect you to resources or provide support in situations where you encounter sexual misconduct in the workplace or experiential learning settings. Some scenarios may include:
- Sexual misconduct during a Wellesley Career Education-funded or -sponsored program (e.g. Internships, Civic Engagement, Fellowships)
- Sexual misconduct during a professional or experiential learning experience external to Career Education
- Sexual misconduct during an interview or recruiting experience
- Support with a career change after experiencing an unhealthy workplace
- Addressing a past experience during an application process
Please know that our staff members are required to communicate any information that may be shared with them regarding sexual misconduct with Wellesley’s Office of Non-Discrimination Initiatives.
Understanding the Law
Title IX is a federal law that protects students and employees from discrimination and harassment based on sex in the educational setting. Employees are also protected from discrimination and harassment based on sex and other classifications outside of the educational setting under another federal law — Title VII. Title VII applies to all employees in the United States who have over 15 employees (with some exceptions). Individual states also typically have laws in place that provide similar, and sometimes greater, protections against discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The extent of that protection varies from state to state. In Massachusetts, section 151B is the primary law prohibiting discrimination and harassment in the workplace, which applies to employers who have over six employees. Outside of the United States, protection against discrimination and harassment can vary widely between countries and is typically (but not always) less comprehensive than the protections we have here in the states.
Prior to Entering into a New Workforce, Internship, or Study Abroad Experience
There are many considerations to make before you enter into a new workplace, internship, or study abroad experience. You may wish to arm yourself with as much information as possible about the culture and climate to find the right fit for yourself. It is important to note that, although you can take meaningful steps to prepare, many instances of sexual misconduct are unpredictable. Always, the fault lies with the harasser and not the victim if you find yourself in a negative environment.
Healthy and Unhealthy Workplaces
Workplaces can be unhealthy for a variety of reasons, including mismanagement, lack of work/life balance, or low morale. In this resource we are exclusively addressing sexual misconduct and how it impacts workplace culture. Workplaces are like ecosystems, with every member of the team working together to create an environment that is healthy, productive, and collegial. It only takes one person crossing the boundary of sexual misconduct for that ecosystem to break down.