Beyond Sexual Harassment: Mental and Emotional Harassment in the Workplace
In today’s world, many HR activists focus on addressing sexual harassment in the workplace. It’s a well-known issue where a senior executive, whether male or female, demands sexual favors from a subordinate in exchange for promotions or salary hikes. It’s widely accepted that this behavior is unacceptable, as employees are hired based on their skills and qualifications—not for providing personal favors. Employees are expected to contribute to the growth of the organization with their talents, not to entertain perverse senior officials. Fortunately, HR departments have made strides in tackling such harassment, with perpetrators often facing severe consequences, leaving other seniors wary of crossing professional boundaries.
However, there is a more subtle, yet equally damaging, issue that often goes unnoticed: workplace harassment involving “consenting adults.” This scenario involves employees who, rather than resisting inappropriate advances, willingly offer themselves to libidinous senior officials, even before being asked. They read the weaknesses of these senior executives and signal their availability for personal favors. While this may appear harmless on the surface, it creates a toxic work environment that fosters emotional and mental harassment for others.
You might wonder, “What’s the problem if two consenting adults engage in a relationship?” The issue lies in the favoritism that often follows. These consenting employees win the favor of senior officials and, in turn, receive rewards such as salary hikes, promotions, and easier projects—not based on merit, but on feeding the ego of their superiors. This creates an unfair playing field, leaving those who perform their duties diligently feeling overlooked and demoralized.
The employees who work hard and deserve recognition are left feeling mentally and emotionally harassed, watching mediocre colleagues—who butter up senior managers with cheap tricks—reap all the benefits. They can’t approach HR with complaints about consenting adults, and even if HR suspects favoritism, they are often powerless to stop a relationship between two adults who claim to be in mutual agreement.
While this issue may seem trivial, it is a harsh reality for many employees, especially women, who bear the brunt of it. They see their hard work and dedication go unrewarded, while those engaging in unethical behaviors receive all the perks. This breeds resentment and frustration, leading employees to lose faith in the idea of being good and doing good. When those with zero morals and below-average work performance get ahead, the workplace becomes a breeding ground for mental and emotional stress.
It’s time to acknowledge this form of harassment as a real issue and find ways to address it. The workplace should be a place of meritocracy where skills, hard work, and dedication are rewarded—not a playground for manipulating personal relationships to gain undue advantage.
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