Relationship problems? Liability of employers for sexual relationships at work.

Middlemiss, Sam

Abstract

Research has shown that sexual relationships at work are on the increase and the consequences for the parties (particularly employees and workers) can be the breakdown of working relationships, loss of employment and ultimately a legal claim. It therefore is an opportune time to review this important issue from a legal perspective. This issue has often been neglected in the past because of its sensitive and difficult nature and a general unwillingness to accept that it is an issue that can often have serious repercussions for victims of sex-related behaviour and therefore needs to be addressed from a legal perspective. Reference to the position in the United States will be made where it is useful in supporting the underlying arguments in the article. It will be argued that there is a need for employers to take this matter seriously and where appropriate make organisational changes to deal with it. Also a critical review of the legal rules that apply to relationships at work will be undertaken in this article and where appropriate recommendations made for changes in the law.

Citation

MIDDLEMISS, S. 2019. Relationship problems? Liability of employers for sexual relationships at work. Interdisciplinary perspectives on equality and diversity [online] 5(1), article 62. Available from: http://journals.hw.ac.uk/index.php/IPED/article/download/62/50

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 26, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Feb 26, 2019
• Publication Date: Jun 30, 2019
• Deposit Date: Aug 6, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 6, 2019
• Journal: Interdisciplinary perspectives on equality and diversity
• Publisher: Heriot Watt University. School of Social Sciences
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 62
• Keywords: Workplace ; Sexual; Relations; Legal; Remedies; Discrimination
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/247577
• Publisher URL: http://journals.hw.ac.uk/index.php/IPED/article/download/62/50