Define quid pro quo harassment.

Define quid pro quo harassment.

• A. A situation where a supervisor demands sexual favors in exchange for job security.
• B. A mutual dating relationship between coworkers.
• C. A routine performance review.
• D. A paid training program for career advancement.

Answer: (A)

Quid pro quo harassment happens when someone in a position of authority demands sexual favors in exchange for a job-related benefit. In your example, a supervisor tying job security to sexual compliance clearly shows this coercive exchange tied to employment outcomes, which is exactly what makes it a form of harassment protected against by law and workplace policy. The other scenarios don’t involve coercive demands tied to employment decisions: a dating relationship between coworkers isn’t automatically an exchange of sex for a job outcome, a routine performance review is a standard evaluation, and a paid training program is unrelated to sexual coercion or job security.

Quid pro quo harassment happens when someone in a position of authority demands sexual favors in exchange for a job-related benefit. In your example, a supervisor tying job security to sexual compliance clearly shows this coercive exchange tied to employment outcomes, which is exactly what makes it a form of harassment protected against by law and workplace policy. The other scenarios don’t involve coercive demands tied to employment decisions: a dating relationship between coworkers isn’t automatically an exchange of sex for a job outcome, a routine performance review is a standard evaluation, and a paid training program is unrelated to sexual coercion or job security.