Recently, allegations have been made that a former partner at the firm behaved inappropriately towards a female assistant. Managing partner Tony Williams had no comment to make on the matter. But at least these firms escaped with their financial well-being only lightly scratched. You can shrug off an unfair dismissal, but harassment is enormously damaging. People are less tolerant of certain types of behaviour in the workplace,' says Dalgarno.
Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature.
Harassment takes lots of different forms,' says Elaine Aarons, 'but what is typical is that the harasser is a superior, someone who is in a position to instruct and demand.' 'In most cases, men occupy that position of power,' says Younson. Which is why nearly all harassers are men - particularly in law firms where the traditional power structure has men at the top and women at the bottom. But it is not just the gender imbalance of power which leads to sexual harassment in the office. Differences in culture also widen the communication gap. One female American lawyer recalls that while she was working in the City she witnessed behaviour and overheard comments which she claims 'created an oppressive work environment' for women at the firm.