WK 9 EOC: The Apartment

In week 9's class for human resources we watched a program called the Apartment in order to discuss common forms of harassment in the workplace. According to the text, "Harassment relates to unwanted and annoying actions by one or more persons, including threats or demands." When watching the apartment, one could see multiple instances of such behavior. One of the very first examples of harassment within the film was when one of CC Baxter's bosses uses Baxter's apartment for his own private reasons and speaks of a possible promotion. This first example of harassment from the film is known in as Quid Pro Quo. According to our textbook, the word Quid Pro Quo is "From the Latin phrase meaning “this for that.” In the movie's case the boss is asking to use the apartment (the this) in exchange for speaking highly about Baxter to Personnel (the that). Another example in the film of harassment was when one of the administrator's got in the elevator girl's bubble without her permission. This example is known as a hostile environment. According to the text, a Hostile environment "is an atmosphere that is characterized by unwanted sexually demeaning or intimidating behaviors in which a person is treated poorly or feels uncomfortable." And, " The conduct may be physical, verbal, or nonverbal in nature. A final example of the many harassing moments that took place in this film was when the supervisors would blackmail Baxter into letting them use the apartment. According to the text, "An employer is automatically liable for harassment by a supervisor that results in a negative employment action, such as termination, failure to promote or hire, or loss of wages." If this instance occurred in real life, the employer could have faced serious legal ramifications for Baxter's supervisors' misconduct.