Sexual Harassment: The Dangerous Consequences of Seduction in the Workplace

© March Oyinki 2016/tribulant

People make up the society, and of course, these people are not devoid of vices, whether it is in the workplace or in our private lives. What goes on in society inadvertently extends to the workplace, and the differences in the kind of vices in some cases, from one organization to the other, are that some organizations have very strict policies in place to discourage such toxic tendency of employees.

Sexual harassment is by definition, an unlawful sexual advancement, either verbal or physical, soliciting sexual favour. Sexual harassment in the workplace is a phenomenon that is common mostly among women; however, is also a growing number of sexual harassment incidents involving men. In practice sexual harassment could mean passing sexual comment or inducing behavior such as, leering at someone or making sexual gesture, displaying materials that can be construed to have sexual attributes, making a comment about an employee’s dressing, etc.

The level of tolerance, even in the society, differs from one society to another. In some societies such as in the United Kingdom, Canada, France and United States, there are strict legislations against sexual harassment in the workplace, for example Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, whereas in some other societies, the laws are very sublime.

A Washington Post poll 2011, recorded that out of every four women in the U.S. one has experienced workplace sexual harassment. A total payment in the same period for sexual harassment lawsuits (excluding litigations) amounted to over $43 million. There are very scanty data on sexual harassment cases in Nigeria.

It is only just on October 27, 2016 that the Nigerian Senate passed 'The Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill, 2016', which was sponsored by Senator Ovie Omo -Agege, APC, Delta Central in June 2016, seeking to stop sexual abuse of female students in the nation’s tertiary institutions. The bill prescribed a 5-year jail term for lecturers and educators convicted of sexual harassment of their male or female students.

This is a good start, but we have a long way to go, as we have a bigger problem in the workplace, therefore, there is still an urgent need to amend the bill to cover workplace sexual harassment. Cases of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions is just a tip of the iceberg, the level of sexual harassment in the workplace in our country has reached dangerous proportions, and immediate action needs to be taken to address it.

An unlawful sexual advancement only becomes sexual harassment when the case is reported and the victim seeks redress. There are a lot more cases that are not reported for fear of generating a scandal. Many other cases turn out to become inappropriate mutual relationships between subordinates and supervisors in the workplace, and usually for the sole purpose of advancing their personal interest. Relationships such as these may have been a result of 'subliminal seduction' by either of the parties.
Subliminal seduction is the ability for someone to attract and subconsciously seduce another person. The victim can be induced to begin to crave lustfully for a sexual relationship with the perpetrator. This kind of behavior cuts across all genders.

Sexual harassment, subliminal seduction or whatever title it is given, one thing is certain, there exist a high level of sexual harassment in the workplace. There is a higher propensity of sexual harassment cases against women, but there are also a sizeable number of cases of men been harassed in the workplace. Seduction or any form of inducement aimed at advancing sexual interest in the workplace is inappropriate and unlawful.

The real treat of such sexual indiscipline in the workplace is to the business. Many businesses have collapsed simply because executives of the company, both men and women have formed the bad habit of using corporate gratifications, such as positive evaluation, promotion, job reassignment etc., as bargaining chips to make sexual advances on junior colleagues.

It is the company that suffers for it at the end of the day, because when top executives compromises established company standards, laid down rules and processes in exchange for sexual favour, there is bound to be problem. The  staff evaluation processes are skewed in favour of their purported sexual partners, while the hard working staff who deserve promotion is denied the opportunity. It is the same thing that happens with job reassignment or re-deployment. There are many instances whereby, senior executives offer employment to far less qualified candidates purely for sexual aggrandizement.

The impact on the business as a result of sexual indiscipline by senior employees in the workplace is enormous. Firstly, unqualified persons are employed into highly strategic positions, and therefore, they are unable to achieve optimal performance. Secondly, less experienced and unqualified persons are promoted above their competence level and then the job suffers. The real danger is that, even when it has become transient that these employees are not delivering, and they are performing below company expectation, the senior executives who are the perpetrators, do everything to conceal the ineptitude of their sexual partners. and of course protecting their own jobs.

The company bears the brunt and its overall performance is also affected, when processes are compromised, standards are lowered, unqualified persons find their ways to strategic positions, causing dwindling employees moral and dedication. The overall performance of the company is significantly affected and the quality of service delivery begins to degenerate. Though this imminent danger is lurking and the company is in the fringes of collapse, these seniors executives continually feed top management with falsified positive performance reports even when clearly the financial records are showing gross decline.

Despite the dare consequences of subliminal seduction for both the employee who stand the risk of prosecution for sexual harassment and consequently fired, and the organization which faces an eminent collapse, there are persons who still think that inappropriate workplace relationship is a way of life and therefore, should be accommodated.

Nina DiSesa wrote in her book titled Seducing the Boys Club, argues that women should use in the workplace the same tactics they use to seduce and manipulate men in their private lives, that it is an effective means of advancing their career and achieving what they want. She also points out the obvious-such manipulation must be done in a deceitful manner, because if a man knows he is being played, he is likely to resist such attempts and will probably respond in a negative way.

Dr. George K. Simon thinks differently, when he explains in his book, "wolves in sheep's clothing", that those that are without the ability to recognize the threat of subliminal seduction, are at risk of becoming victims themselves. This clearly exposes the enormous threat of sexual harassment and the existence of subliminal seduction in the workplace.

It is therefore expedient for States to enact Sexual Harassment laws to prosecute offenders and organizations introduce strict sexual harassment policies to discourage their employees from engaging in any form of sexual indiscipline between senior executives and their subordinates in the workplace.

Japanese companies making machine that can morph from humanoid robot to car

Fans of the Transformers may appreciate an effort by Japanese companies to create a real-life machine that can morph from a humanoid robot to a car.

On Friday, Brave Robotics Inc. and Asratec Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Corp., said they have begun work on a 3.5-meter-tall robot that can transform into a two-wheel-drive vehicle running at speeds up to 60 kilometers per hour, or 37 mph. They aim to have a working model by 2017.

Japanese companies making machine that can morph from humanoid robot to car

Transformers: Japanese companies making machine that can morph from humanoid robot to car http://on.wsj.com/1f6oBz6span>

100 Days in Office: Expectations Pressurizes FG, President Buhari Laments

The president of Nigeria, Mohamadu Buhari’s 100 days in office is supposedly pressurizing the federal government due to financial constraints. While the availability of finance will enable the federal government to address the country's structural and fiscal agenda, actions such as disengaging troops and dismantling all military check-points across the country is already a laudable achievement which did not cost the government anything.

Such interventions will go a long way to win back lost public confidence and apparently this is right time for President Buhari commence efforts geared towards tackling many other crucial social issues plaguing the country, which equally do not require any financial commitment. One of such burning issues which call for urgent intervention by the president is the recent public outcry for the reduction of salaries and allowances of public servants and political offices holders, particularly, those of National Assembly members.

It is imperative to allow public pressure bear on the government, because that the fuel that will in all honesty drive the president to become successful in delivering the changes which him and the APC, has promised the teeming Nigerian population that defied all odds to cast their votes and brought them to power. Discountenancing pressure from the populace will mean government is shutting a vital public feedback channel that would have been useful to the governance in understanding and feeling the heart beat of the public and sampling opinion on how his administration is rated.

The cry by the federal government about the poor finances is a big shame to say the least, and it is understandable why the president came out to declare this publicly. That the federal government treasury is empty is not news and the APC had continually spoken about this. The president's reaction is as a result of the financial recklessness and indiscipline of government officials in the immediate past administration, and he has promising and committed himself to recover in three months all such moneys from any government official found culpable.

I really can’t understand the necessity for such a declaration at this time. The president has only succeeded in creating panic and a dangerous signal that will lead to series of counter reactions from such persons by way of destruction of evidence, arson, assassinations, blackmail, migration and asylum seeking. All of these will bring enormous pressure to bear on the federal government and serious distraction by way of litigations and counter litigations.

The series of events following this declaration will certainly raise human right issues and Human Right Watch and other international human right organizations will lurking, keeping an eagle eye on the government, following every move they make and ensuring compliance of both the countries Pinal code and international human conventions. Failure to follow proper legal channels in prosecuting any government official who is found wanton will amount to trampling on their fundamental rights.

It goes without saying that the judiciary will be involved and the spotlight will fall on all the endemic systemic flaws that have bedeviled the procurement of justice in Nigeria, which we have all come to know. Delays in the justice system, disobedience of court orders, corruption and manipulation of judges by wealthy individuals and counter attempt by government to usurp the powers of the judiciary by enforcement executive orders that contravene judicial processes, are a cacophony of immersed quagmire that will further dent the country’s human rights record and take focus of government away from the real issues of correcting the damage of the past and building a new Nigeria.

It will be more productive if the government can temper down on witch-hunting on a global scale as been planned currently, rather it should be approached courteously and selectively where cases of culpable offences are evidential and can be proven beyond reasonable doubt in the court of law.

Corp Accountability hails Nigeria for passing National Tobacco Control Bill into law

Corp Accountability International and the National Tobacco Control Bill Coalition commendation of the Nigerian government and the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan, for signing the National Tobacco Control Bill, calling it an extraordinary public health legacy.

The coalition comprising the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Environmental Rights Action /Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and Nigeria Tobacco Control Coalition (NTCA) also commended members of the seventh National Assembly for fast-tracking the bill process so that it was ready for the President's assent.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201505300347.html …

Wife of Nigeria President, Aisha Buhari's N10 million Watch

Wife of @NGRPresident, Aisha Buhari's talk of the town watch. The real version is said to worth over N10million.

Nigeria President Mohammadu Buhari First 100 Days in Office

Help us keep track of @NGRPresident @MBuhari first 100 Days. Tell @Brainstormgroup what you know he has done today.

Nigeria Rated 5th in African in The Global Fire Power Rankings

Nigeria ranked fifth place in The Global Fire Power Rankings of military capabilities of African Countries behind Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia and South African in first, second, third and fourth place respectively. With 170 million population, Nigeria spends $2.3 billion annually to defend its 170 million population compared to that of Egypt’s $4.6bn with a population of 94 million, Algeria’s budget is $10.5bn for a population of 39.2 million, while Ethiopia spends $340m each year for a population of 94 million and South African 54 million population budgets $4.6bn. Ethiopia with a population of 94 million is second place despite having a far lower defense budget than all others in the first five African countries.

Ethiopia came behind first place country Egypt, in military hardware, with an impressive 560 tanks, 780 armored vehicles, 81 air crafts, 39 helicopters and 183 rocket launchers. In comparison Nigeria with a population that is the largest in Africa and a much higher military spending has only 363 tanks and 36 helicopters, less than Ethiopia. Corruption remains the single most detrimental factor behind the poor showing of the country in all global rating indices. The drama that unfolded within the military’s poor campaign against the terror group Boko Haram, is tied to the absence of military hardware support and supplies.

The force has recorded its highest desertion rate ever. Some 54 soldiers were a couple of months ago, court marshalled for mutiny, they were accused of shooting at a top military command and for insubordination. A separate group of over 250 soldiers was this week dismissed from the force for refusing duty assignments to trouble spots where the Boko Haram was terrorizing communities in North East Nigeria. Account by the officers facing death sentences is that the soldiers at the front were ill-equipped against the higher fire power of the terror group and top commanders also had compromising positions and were giving away critical strategic information to the Boko Haram terrorists.