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Workplace harassment rarely appears as a single, obvious act. More often, it unfolds through a series of behaviors—some subtle, some overt—that escalate over time. Disrespectful conduct can take many forms, and when verbal, physical, and visual behaviors overlap, the risk of creating a hostile work environment increases significantly.
This video scenario illustrates how multiple forms of harassment can occur within everyday workplace interactions, even when perpetrators may believe they are “joking” or engaging in harmless behavior. The lesson reinforces a critical concept from Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment course: harassment is defined by impact, not intent, and patterns of unwelcome conduct matter.
Harassment can generally be grouped into three categories: verbal, physical, and visual. Each form on its own can be harmful. When combined—especially repeatedly—they can quickly cross the line into unlawful, toxic behavior.
Verbal harassment includes spoken or written comments that demean, sexualize, intimidate, or embarrass someone. This can include slurs, sexual jokes, repeated unwanted romantic advances, rumors, gender-based insults, or comments about a person’s body or appearance. Even when framed as humor, verbal conduct can create discomfort and reinforce power imbalances.
Physical harassment involves unwanted physical proximity, gestures, or contact. This can include blocking someone’s movement, leaning into their personal space, touching their clothing or body, following them, or using physical positioning to intimidate. Importantly, physical harassment does not require overt touching—invading someone’s space in a sexualized or intimidating way is enough.
Visual harassment includes images, gestures, or displays that are sexual, offensive, or humiliating. This might involve showing explicit images, posting inappropriate content, using sexual gestures, or deliberately exposing someone to material meant to shock or embarrass them.
In the video, Reva is simply going about her work when she becomes the target of repeated, unwelcome conduct from her co-workers.
The first incident occurs near the copier. A male co-worker subtly signals to another, setting up a situation meant to embarrass Reva. When a pen is intentionally dropped and Reva bends to pick it up, the men use the moment to sexualize her body. Their reaction—smiling and laughing afterward—confirms that the behavior was deliberate.
This moment alone may seem small to an observer, but it sets the stage for what follows. It communicates that Reva is being watched, evaluated, and treated as an object rather than a colleague.
Later, Samesh approaches Reva at her desk. He stands over her, leans into her personal space, places his hands on her desk and chair, and comments while smacking his lips. Reva becomes visibly uncomfortable and freezes—a common response to unexpected or threatening behavior. The physical proximity and sexual undertones of this interaction escalate the situation from inappropriate to intimidating.
The next day, the harassment continues. Reva is flagged down in the hallway and invited to look at something on a computer. Instead, she is shown a sexualized image meant to shock and embarrass her. The men laugh at her reaction.
At this point, the behavior is no longer ambiguous. It is repeated, unwelcome, coordinated, and escalating.
Reva’s co-workers engaged in all three forms of harassment:
This pattern of behavior made Reva visibly uncomfortable, confused, and eventually fearful. It changed the nature of her work environment from one of safety and focus to one of anxiety and threat.
Under harassment standards, a hostile work environment exists when unwelcome conduct based on sex is severe or pervasive enough to alter the conditions of employment. This scenario clearly meets that threshold. It is not a one-off incident. It is not accidental. And it is not harmless.
The co-workers may believe they were “just joking” or “not trying to hurt anyone.” But intent does not override impact. What matters is how the conduct affected Reva and whether a reasonable person in her position would feel intimidated or unsafe. In this case, the answer is yes.
Freezing, withdrawing, or avoiding confrontation are common responses to harassment—especially when power dynamics or fear of retaliation are present. Silence does not equal consent.
One of the core lessons taught in Emtrain’s Preventing Workplace Harassment course is that harassment does not exist in just one form. Verbal, physical, and visual conduct can each cause harm on their own—but when they occur together, as they did in this scenario, they dramatically increase the risk of creating a hostile work environment.
The PWH course equips employees and managers to recognize all three forms of harassment, understand how they can escalate, and respond appropriately when they occur. This includes knowing when behavior has crossed the line, how to intervene safely as an upstander, and when managers have a responsibility to report and address concerns.
By learning to identify problematic conduct early—and by using a shared framework like the Workplace Color Spectrum®—teams can course-correct behavior before it becomes red. The goal isn’t just compliance, but awareness: understanding how everyday actions impact others, and taking responsibility for maintaining a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected, and supported.
