W. Va. Code R. § 77-4-2

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 43, October 25, 2024

Section 77-4-2 - Sexual Harassment Prohibited

2.1. When it occurs in the workplace, harassment on the basis of sex is a violation of W. Va. Code '5-11-9(a)(1). The HRA affords employees the right to work in an environment free from discriminatory intimidation, ridicule, or insult.

2.2. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:

2.2.1. Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or is exchanged for job benefits;

2.2.2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or

2.2.3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

2.3. In determining whether alleged conduct constitutes sexual harassment, the Commission will look at the record as a whole and at the totality of the circumstances, such as the nature of the sexual advances and the context in which the alleged incidents occurred. The determination of the legality of a particular action will be made from the facts, on a case-by-case basis, but in all cases the harassment complained of must be sufficiently severe or pervasive.

2.4. In determining whether alleged sexual harassment in a particular case is sufficiently severe or pervasive, the Commission will consider:

2.4.1. Whether it involved unwelcome physical touching;

2.4.2. Whether it involved verbal abuse of an offensive or threatening nature;

2.4.3. Whether it involved unwelcome and consistent sexual innuendo or physical contact; and

2.4.4. The frequency of the unwelcome and offensive encounters.

2.4.5. A person who has been harassed on an isolated basis may offer evidence of harassment suffered by other employees as proof that the harassment was pervasive or severe.

2.5. Harassment is not necessarily confined to unwanted sexual conduct. Hostile or physically aggressive behavior may also constitute sexual harassment, as long as the disparate treatment is based on gender.

W. Va. Code R. § 77-4-2