“Quid pro quo,” in a general sense, is just a term relating to an exchange. This could be an exchange of goods or services. One thing of value is being offered in exchange for another.
In the context of sexual harassment, then, quid pro quo harassment is when a person is offered something in exchange for sexual favors or a sexual relationship that they otherwise would not have engaged in. This can cause them to feel like they are being coerced or put under duress, or they may be manipulated into the relationship.
These cases can be complicated because that relationship sometimes appears to be consensual, even though it is a form of harassment.
How would this happen in a business context?
An example of this is often when a person at a higher level in the business uses their position of power and authority in order to get what they want from another employee.
For instance, an employee puts their name in for a significant promotion and a raise. They want to climb the corporate ladder. Their supervisor is in charge of determining who should get the promotion.
The supervisor then abuses their position of power by telling the employee that, should they agree to sexual favors in the workplace, they will be given that promotion. They are trying to manipulate the employee to act in a certain way, rather than treating them fairly and determining who should get the promotion based on their qualifications and experience.
This is just one potential example, but it helps to show how sexual harassment cases sometimes take place. Those involved need to know exactly what legal options they have at this time.