Quid pro quo is not just a term used in relation to sexual harassment. All it really means is that two people are exchanging something for something else. This is common in business relationships.
In the context of sexual harassment, though, it often means that one person is offering or demanding a sexual relationship in exchange for something the other party wants. This can be done as a form of coercion or manipulation. Let’s take a look at two different ways that this could play out.
Receiving benefits at work
First of all, the exchange is sometimes positioned as positive—it’s something that the other party actually wants.
For example, say that a CEO is deciding who to promote to a supervisor role. That CEO also wants to have a sexual relationship with a specific employee. They tell that employee that, if they agree to the relationship, they will be the one who gets the promotion. They’re essentially using business advancement as a bargaining chip to manipulate this person into a relationship they wouldn’t have consented to otherwise.
Avoiding negative ramifications
On the other hand, the exchange could involve avoiding a negative consequence. For example, the employee may be afraid that refusing the relationship means they’re going to be demoted or have their hours cut. They may worry about being fired, losing their job entirely or being blackballed and developing a negative reputation in their industry. To avoid that, they agree to the relationship.
No one deserves to be forced into a quid pro quo sexual harassment situation, but it happens all too often. Those who find themselves in this position must know what legal steps they can take.