Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, unwanted sexual advances in the workplace were made illegal, but it was not until the 1970s that the term "sexual harassment" began to gain recognition, due in large part to the women's rights movement [1,2]. While sexual harassment is a term that has been familiar to the general population for the past 40 years, it has returned to the spotlight since the beginning of the "Me Too" movement, which started in 2006 before gaining renewed support and widespread following in 2017 with the viral hashtag #metoo. The now-global movement continues to provide support and resources for survivors, as well as building communities of advocates and working to disrupt the systems that allow sexual harassment and violence to occur [3].

Psychologically, sexual harassment has been divided into three categories that reflect the legal definitions [8]:

Quid pro quo, meaning "this for that" in Latin, consists of a supervisor or other superior asking for sexual favors in exchange for benefits at work. These demands may be outright or implied. Benefits may include a promotion, a pay increase, a bigger office, approval of vacation time, better work shifts, or keeping one's job. Quid pro quo harassment also includes negative repercussions from refusing to perform the acts requested by the superior. For example, the harasser may threaten to or actually fire, demote, or assign unpleasant work assignments or bad work shifts to the victim as retaliation [8].

As noted, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a federal law that protects workers from discrimination regardless of their gender, race, color, national origin, or religion [2]. The EEOC was created under Title VII and is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee. This law applies to businesses with 15 or more employees and to federal, state, and local governments. Violation of Title VII can encompass all aspects of employment, including but not limited to hiring, firing, layoffs, compensation, training, promotions, and assignments. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person for making a complaint or reporting discrimination. Specifically, section 703 of Title VII states it shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to [2,8]:

There are several laws in the state of Illinois regarding the prevention of, training to prevent, and protection from sexual harassment. The Illinois Human Rights Act, enforced by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR), ensures the right of all employees to work in an environment free of sexual harassment or discrimination [15]. In 2017, the Illinois Sexual Harassment and Discrimination (SHD) helpline and website were created in order to help inform and guide individuals through the sexual harassment reporting process [17]. In 2020, the state of Illinois enacted the Workplace Transparency Act (WTA) to address the compliance of employment contracts in discrimination and harassment laws. The WTA indicates that it is unlawful to include in any contract or other employment agreement language that prohibits or prevents reporting of harassment allegations or making truthful statements as a condition of employment or continued employment [16]. The state of Illinois also requires that places of business have sexual harassment policies in place in order to protect employees and ease the reporting process [18].

Sexual harassment can negatively affect an individual's mental health, physical health, and sense of safety. Victims of sexual harassment are more likely to be depressed and to have symptoms of stress and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sexual harassment has been associated with additional negative psychologic effects, including burnout, unhealthy eating behaviors, self-blame, reduced self-esteem, emotional exhaustion, anger, disgust, fear, and less satisfaction with life in general; these issues can, in turn, affect an individual's work life and compromise the quality of patient care. Furthermore, victims of sexual harassment may be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and self-harm. Physical health consequences may include headaches, exhaustion, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal problems, weight gain or loss, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues [5].

Sexual harassment has been shown to lower productivity in the workplace. This may occur when a harasser uses work time to plan, discuss, and/or engage in harassing behaviors. Victims of sexual harassment may be required to spend work hours seeking assistance or documenting an incident of harassment. To avoid harassing or due to distress, victims may be tardy, may neglect duties or assignments, or may be absent from work altogether. Sexual harassment in the workplace can negatively affect the entire team, creating a tense, uncomfortable environment for all employees.

Employee turnover is higher when there is harassment in the workplace. A national survey showed that 1 in 7 women and 1 in 17 men reported looking for a new job, changing jobs, or quitting due to sexual harassment in the workplace [19].

Sexual harassment can negatively affect an individual's mental health, physical health, and sense of safety. Victims of sexual harassment are more likely to be depressed and to have symptoms of stress and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sexual harassment has been associated with additional negative psychologic effects, including burnout, unhealthy eating behaviors, self-blame, reduced self-esteem, emotional exhaustion, anger, disgust, fear, and less satisfaction with life in general; these issues can, in turn, affect an individual's work life and compromise the quality of patient care. Furthermore, victims of sexual harassment may be more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and self-harm. Physical health consequences may include headaches, exhaustion, disrupted sleep, gastrointestinal problems, weight gain or loss, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues [5].

Sexual harassment has been shown to lower productivity in the workplace. This may occur when a harasser uses work time to plan, discuss, and/or engage in harassing behaviors. Victims of sexual harassment may be required to spend work hours seeking assistance or documenting an incident of harassment. To avoid harassing or due to distress, victims may be tardy, may neglect duties or assignments, or may be absent from work altogether. Sexual harassment in the workplace can negatively affect the entire team, creating a tense, uncomfortable environment for all employees.

Employee turnover is higher when there is harassment in the workplace. A national survey showed that 1 in 7 women and 1 in 17 men reported looking for a new job, changing jobs, or quitting due to sexual harassment in the workplace [19].

If an individual experiences or witnesses sexual harassment in a place of work, there steps that may be appropriate to take, including [17,8]:

An employment charge of discrimination, including issues related to sexual harassment, can be reported to the IDHR by email, mail, fax, or in person, and must be filed within two years of the alleged discrimination. The employee who wishes to report sexual harassment must complete, sign, and submit a complainant information sheet (CIS) to the IDHR. More information, including the CIS and office locations, can be found online at https://dhr.illinois.gov/filing-a-charge/employment.html [18]. In addition to an employment charge of discrimination, the IDHR also enforces four additional charge areas, including: education; fair housing; financial credit; and public accommodations. Each charge area has a separate reporting form [18].

An action is considered retaliation if, in response to an employee's action with the EEOC, the employer or supervisor [20]: