I’m Being Sexually Harassed at Work – What Should I Do?
Sexual harassment in the workplace is unlike most other sexual harassment situations since it is tied to the victim’s livelihood, often making the individual feel helpless and powerless against these unwanted advances. In fact, most incidents of sexual harassment go unreported, according to a CareerBuilder survey. Instead of allowing this behavior to go on without taking action, contact a sexual harassment attorney today.
What is Sexual Harassment?
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is defined as unwanted sexual advances, request for favors of a sexual nature, and other forms of physical or verbal harassment that are sexual in tone. Sexual harassment also includes comments made about a person’s sex. Although you might not be able to file a lawsuit for one offhanded remark about your gender, you would likely be more successful if the individual making the comments regularly engages in this sort of behavior. Additionally, victims and perpetrators of sexual harassment can be any gender or sexual orientation.
The Next Step
In just about any sexual harassment case, one of the first steps you should take is to report the offensive behavior according to your employer’s procedure. If your company or employer does not have a procedure for reporting incidents of sexual harassment, make a complaint to your immediate supervisor. Unfortunately, in some cases, a worker’s immediate supervisor is the person who made the unwanted advances. If your immediate supervisor sexually harassed you, launch the complaint to your supervisor’s immediate supervisor. It is imperative to ensure your company is aware of the situation.
Be sure to keep record and document every incident of sexual harassment including when it happened, what was said, and who was involved.
Taking Legal Action
If warranted, it is critical to have an attorney on your side to guide you through the process of filing a lawsuit.
If successful, compensation can cover a variety of things, including:
- Back pay if you lost wages or did not receive a raise due to the incident;
- Difference in pay with subsequent jobs if you were terminated or forced to leave the job;
- Any fringe benefits that were lost;
- A requirement for your employer to implement training or policies to put an end to sexual harassment;
- Damages for the emotional distress you suffered;
- Attorney fees and other expenses;
- Punitive damages.
Do what you can to protect your rights as an employee today and contact an attorney.
Schedule a Case Review with a Sexual Harassment Attorney Today!
If you are being sexually harassed at work, you should not have to accept this sort of inexcusable behavior. At Shaffer Madia Law, our employment law team will fight on your behalf and protect your rights. Our results-driven team of attorneys has over 60 years of collective legal experience which we will use to your advantage. No matter how complex your case might be, you can rely on our knowledge and skill to ensure justice is achieved.
Contact our law office today at (304) 244-4433 to schedule a confidential and complimentary case review with a trusted member of our team.