Are you or someone close to you experiencing any of the following issues?
- Sexually explicit jokes;
- Unwanted language, emails or phone calls;
- Requests for sexual favors in exchange for a raise or promotion;
- Inappropriate touching;
- Sexual Assault;
- Retaliation after filing a harassment complaint;
- Hostile workplace environment;
A specialized employment lawyer can analyze your situation and evaluate the viability of your case. By filing a suit against your harasser, you can obtain justice and the compensation you deserve. Don’t ignore improper behavior thinking that it’s just a solitary act. A single incident can create a precedent that will, eventually, lead to a negative and insecure environment.
Address and report sexual misconduct.
According to an EEOC task force report, almost one-third of the approximately 90,000 charges received by EEOC in fiscal year 2015 included an allegation of workplace harassment. This includes, among other things, charges of unlawful harassment on the basis of sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), race, disability, age, ethnicity/national origin, color, and religion. Victims of sex-based harassment often deny or tone down an egregious situation to avoid or ignore the negative behavior. An estimated three out of four employees who have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work do not even report it to their supervisor, or human resources department. Talk to sexual harassment attorneys about concerns that the conduct by a person who may be controlling their work activities, including promotion and upward mobility outweighs inaction to a reported claim, concerns of transferred blame to the employee, and social/ professional stigmatization and retaliation.
Workplace policy.
The victim should directly inform the harasser that their conduct is unwelcome and insist that it stops if they are not afraid. Employer policies should be referenced and a victim should use any employer complaint mechanism, or grievance system available. The more information contained in the complaint including proof of the allegations where possible will give strength to claims taken to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). When investigating allegations of sexual harassment, EEOC looks at the circumstances, such as the nature of the sexual advances, and the context in which the alleged incidents occurred. A positive settlement award may be the result of a strong case presented by experienced legal counsel.
Employer awareness.
A sexual harassment law firm can explain tips for prevention, as it is the best tool to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace. Employers are encouraged to take steps necessary to prevent sexual harassment from occurring. They should clearly communicate to employees that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. They can do so by providing sexual harassment training to their employees by establishing an effective complaint, or grievance process, and taking immediate and appropriate action when an employee complains. Sexual harassment lawyers can assist human resource departments as they develop and maintain standard operating work policies to support methods that deter sexual harassment in the workplace.
Leadership.
Leadership and workplace culture may have a positive impact on the reduction of sexual harassment in the workplace through harassment prevention efforts that include standard operating policies with outlined requirements of reporting, maintaining confidentiality, and professionalism. Committing to a respectful, diverse, and inclusive employee cohort and ensuring that anti-harassment efforts are given priority in the workplace. Management training must be geared toward the reduction of workplace harassment versus the consequences of legal action and liability concerns and costs to employers.
Supervisors and other responsible department personnel who observe, are informed of, or reasonably suspect sexual harassment claims might be filed, should immediately report such incidents and initiate prompt investigation. Supervisors should take effective measures to ensure no further apparent, or alleged harassment of the victim occurs, pending completion of an EEOC investigation, or other legal action. Employers should attempt to maintain the privacy of the alleged victim and harasser while a complaint is being investigated. Necessary steps should also be taken to ensure that the employee victim is protected from retaliation for reporting sexual harassment in compliance with federal laws.
