Workplace Sexual Harassment & Assault

If you believe you’ve experienced workplace sexual harassment, it’s critical to understand how best to respond and what your rights and options are. Workplace sexual harassment can take many forms ranging from unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors to other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Examples include inappropriate touching, suggestive comments, sharing explicit materials, or making sexual jokes. More overt forms of workplace sexual harassment include inappropriate touching, quid, pro quo sexual harassment and workplace sexual assault. It’s important to recognize that harassment can occur in any work-related setting, such as workplace dinners, conferences, or other employee outings. If you believed you experienced sexual harassment at work, there are steps you can take. First, you want to document the behavior. Keep a record of the incidents, including dates, times a description of what happens, how it made you feel, and any witnesses or available evidence. Second, you should report the harassment.

Follow your company’s reporting procedures, which may involve informing your supervisor and or HR department. Remember that human resources works for your company, meaning they’re incentivized to do what they believe is best to protect the company’s interests, not necessarily yours. And third, you should seek legal advice because of this. This is why it can be important for you to speak to a lawyer as soon as possible because what you write in your report and how your employer immediately reacts can be important factors and potential future outcomes. Under federal and many state laws, workplace sexual harassment is illegal. You have the right to work in an environment free from harassment, and your employer must take appropriate action to prevent and address it. If the harassment creates a hostile work environment or leads to adverse employment decisions like being fired, being put on leave or demoted, you may have grounds for a legal claim.

Filing a civil lawsuit against an individual and or your employer enables you to seek compensation for damages and other remedy. To best understand your legal rights related to your specific case, you should speak to a sexual harassment attorney as soon as possible. Many sexual harassment attorneys offer free consultations, meaning you can get your basic questions answered for free without a commitment. Whether the harm just happened or you’ve already brought the issue to your employer, speaking to someone can help you understand what your next best step is. If you or someone you know has experienced workplace sexual harassment, you can reach out to Helping Survivors and we’ll help you understand your legal rights and options and connect you to a lawyer if necessary.