What is sexual harassment?

Missouri Commission on Human Rights defines sexual harassment as "a form of sex discrimination based on sexually explicit behavior."

According to guidelines posted on the state's Web site for the commission, there are several degrees of harassment:

• Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature is considered harassment "when submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment."
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis of employment decisions affecting such individual, such as promotions or pay raises.
• Hostile environment: When the conduct "has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment." This conduct is so pervasive and/or severe that it creates what is called "an abusive working environment." According to state guidelines, "the more severe the conduct, the fewer the number of incidents needed to violate the law."
• Gender-based harassment. It does not involve explicit sexual behavior. It may include epithets, slurs and negative stereotyping of men or women, directed at a female or male employee. It could include denigrating or hostile written material about the employee posted or circulated in the workplace. "Dumb blonde" or male-bashing jokes could be examples of gender-based harassment. Gender-based harassment is similar to racial harassment, according to state guidelines, because if it is severe and/or pervasive enough to create an abusive working environment, it can violate the law.