# What is workplace sexual harassment? > URL: https://www.aftermetoo.com/article/what-is-workplace-sexual-harassment/ > Language: en > Description: Unwanted behaviour tied to your sex or gender—it ranges from jokes to violence, targets people with less power, and is illegal in Canada. --- Important This is just general information, not legal advice. If you need legal advice about your specific situation, we urge you to [find a lawyer](https://www.aftermetoo.com/article/how-to-find-and-work-with-a-lawyer/) who can help you. There’s no single legal definition for sexual harassment. But it is generally defined as something like this: *unwanted behaviour related to a person’s sex or gender that may harm, offend, or humiliate the person who is being harassed.* Under Canadian laws, sexual harassment is prohibited. People have the right not to be sexually harassed at work, and employers have an obligation to provide a workplace that’s free of harassment. Everybody has a responsibility to not sexually harass other people. ## Who gets **sexually harassed** the most? Most people who get sexually harassed are women. Otherwise, the people who get sexually harassed don’t have much in common. - Sexual harassment happens to people of all ages. - It happens to people no matter what they look like. - It happens to people no matter how they dress. - It happens to people no matter how they behave. ## Do some kinds of **people get harassed more** than others? Yes. Harassers tend to choose: - people who are new to a workplace - people who are new to an industry - racialized people - people with disabilities - people who are 2SLGBTQIA+ - immigrants and refugees - people who have less workplace power than the harasser does Sexual harassment happens in all kinds of workplaces and industries. But there are some environments where it’s more common than others: - workplaces where there are lots of men and very few women - service-sector jobs, especially bars and restaurants - jobs where you work alone with a man - jobs where you work in somebody’s home > Sexual harassment thrives in organizations that have a preponderance of men, turn a blind eye to bad behavior, neglect respect and fairness, and/or promote dysfunctional masculinity contests. > > > Lilia M. Cortina, professor of psychology, Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan. > Maira A. Areguin, graduate student, Joint Program in Women’s and Gender Studies and Personality & Social Contexts, University of Michigan. > “[Putting People Down and Pushing Them Out: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace.](https://sci-hub.se/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-055606)“ ## Some **common examples** of sexual harassment - Someone is hugging or touching you without your consent. - Someone is asking you out repeatedly or is sexually propositioning you. - Someone is invading your personal space or staring at you in a sexual way. - Someone is talking about you, or to you, in a sexual way. - Someone is displaying or showing or sending you sexual imagery. - Someone is sharing sexual images of you with other people. - Someone is making sexual jokes to you or in front of you. - Someone is trying to make you behave in a more feminine or masculine way. - Someone is making fun of the way you look or act because it doesn’t conform to gender stereotypes. - Someone is using gender-based slurs about you or in front of you. - Someone is spreading rumours about your sex, sexual behaviour, gender identity, or gender expression. - Someone is asking you questions about your sex, sexual behaviour, gender identity, or gender expression. - Someone is withholding job-related information from you, or is making it difficult in some other way for you to do your job because of your sex, gender identity, or gender expression. - Someone is making you feel not accepted, or unsafe, because of your sex, gender identity, or gender expression. --- ## Article reviewers Aftermetoo articles are reviewed by members of the following panel of people and organizations. Not every member reviewed every article; regional articles were reviewed by lawyers in that jurisdiction. - Kathleen Avery, LLB, lawyer, Yukon Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board - Barbara Bergmann, JD, lawyer, Workplace Sexual Harassment Clinic/Yukon Legal Services Society - Meredith Brown, JD, lawyer, Calibrate - Stephen Carpenter, LLB, lawyer, Workers Compensation Board of PEI - Amber Chisholm, JD, associate director, Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS-NB) - Callandra Cochrane, JD, lawyer, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic - Alexander Dezan, JD, legal counsel, Yukon Human Rights Commission - Sandra Guarascio, JD, lawyer, investigator, facilitator, Roper Greyell LLP Employment + Labour Lawyers - Andrea Gunraj, vice-president, public engagement, Canadian Women’s Foundation - Sara Hanson, JD, senior associate, Moore Edgar Lyster LLP - Noah Jacobs, BA, Public Legal Information Association of NL - Khurram Khurshid, LLB, research officer, New Brunswick Human Rights Commission - Raphaëlle Laframboise-Carignan, JD, lawyer, RavenLaw LLP - Kevin Love, JD, lawyer, Community Legal Assistance Society, BC - Sarah McCoubrey, BFA, JD, MEd, lawyer, Calibrate - Lesley McCullough, JD, founder and director, Workplace Sexual Harassment Legal Clinic, Yukon - Alison McEwen, JD, RavenLaw LLP - Garreth McGrath, JD, legal support navigator, Public Legal Information Association of NL - Sarah McHugh-Wade, BA, legal support navigator, the Journey Project - Sandra MacKenzie, JD, lawyer, Lawson Lundell LLP - Anna-Marie Manley, LLB, lawyer, Patterson Law - Deepa Mattoo, LLB, lawyer and executive director, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic - Loretta Merritt, LLB, LLM, lawyer, Torkin Manes Barristers & Solicitors - Chetan Muram, JD, counsel, Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic - Gobhina Nagarajah, JD, staff solicitor, Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission - Alex Norris, JD, associate, Carbert Waite LLP - Anita Nowinka, BSc, JD, associate, Carbert Waite LLP - Kim Nutz, JD, Sunstone Legal in association with West Legal - Kevin O’Shea, JD, executive director, Public Legal Information Association of NL - Coral Rajchgot, LLB, JD, former intern, Aftermetoo - Carley Reynolds, BA, criminology; JD, counsel, Donich Law - Lucie Roubin, avocate, Juripop - Ginette Savoie, director, Workers’ Advocate, Government of New Brunswick - Paméla Schiavoni, JD, lawyer, New Brunswick Human Rights Commission - Mary Shortall, president, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour - Morgan Sim, JD, MA, international relations, lawyer, Parker Sim LLP - Cécile Simon, JD, avocate-conseillère, Juripop, Bureau du respect de la personne - Michelle Squires, JD, project manager, Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region - Dayna Steinfeld, LLB, JD, Winnipeg lead lawyer, RavenLaw LLP - Keir Vallance, JD, lawyer, Bainbridge Jodouin Cheecham Barristers & Solicitors - Sherri Walsh, JD, managing partner, Hill Sokalski Walsh LLP - Madeleine Werker, JD, associate, Grosman Gale Fletcher Hopkins LLP - Canadian Labour Congress - The Help and Information Center on Workplace Harassment (GAIHST) - Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission