When sexual demands are used as a basis for employment decisions by managers or supervisors, this is called what?

• A. Hostile environment harassment
• B. Quid pro quo harassment
• C. Workplace harassment
• D. Sexual coercion

Answer: (B)

When a supervisor makes employment decisions depend on sexual favors, that is quid pro quo harassment. The defining idea is a exchange: something (a job promotion, raise, continued employment, favorable review) is granted or withheld based on whether the employee complies with sexual demands. This creates a direct power-driven condition tied to the job, which is the hallmark of quid pro quo harassment.

This is different from a hostile environment, where the issue is ongoing, unwelcome sexual behavior that makes the workplace intimidating or offensive, regardless of any specific employment decision. While general workplace harassment is a broader term, it doesn’t specify that job outcomes are tied to sexual behavior. Sexual coercion could describe coercive pressure, but the precise HR/legal label used when employment actions hinge on sexual favors is quid pro quo harassment.