Guidelines defining sexual harassment are provided by the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC). The EEOC states that "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature" constitute sexual harassment when the conduct meets one or both of two standards:
• Submission to sexual advances is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment by an employee's supervisor; or
• Submission to or rejection of sexual advances is used as the basis for employment decisions — such as promotions, raises or transfers — by the supervisor.
• The unwelcome sexual conduct, by supervisors or co-workers, is so pervasive or severe that it creates a hostile work environment which interferes with an individual's work performance.
For more information, see http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-sex.html