What should an employer in South Dakota do after he/she has been made aware of a sexual harassment incident?

If an employee in South Dakota reports a sexual harassment incident to their employer, the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation says there are a number of steps he/she is required to take. These include:

• Investigate the allegations. Once an employer has been made aware of an incident involving harassment, the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation says they should “immediately” investigate the allegations to determine what happened and what form of action needs to be taken.
• Eliminate harassing behavior. The employer should “consider the severity of the alleged conduct” and determine how to effectively respond to it.
• Schedule follow up interviews. Employers should meet with the victim and their alleged harasser to notify them of the action they will be taking and why, given there is enough evidence to support this.
• Ensure the workplace remains free from sexual harassment.
• Avoid putting the harasser and victim in the same room to address the issue. The South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation says this is “intimidating” and could be “construed as retaliation.”

Important: Employees do need to be aware that while their employer is required to address sexual harassment complaints, they are not required to fire an individual who has been accused of sexual harassment.

What should an employee do if their employer disregards their sexual harassment complaints?

In the event an employer is presented with a sexual harassment allegation and he/she either ignores it or retaliates against an employee for coming forward with their issue, there are additional steps an employee can take to address the problem. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by contacting a South Dakota sexual harassment lawyer.

The sexual harassment attorneys USAttorneys.com will connect an employee with can help them with a number of things including:

• Understanding their legal rights.
• What they should when their employer ignores their complaint.
• Identifying the agencies in which they can take their sexual harassment complaints to.
• Represent them in court if the employee wishes to pursue civil action against their employer.

It is important for employees who have been sexually harassed at work to understand that they do not need to accept the behavior they have been subjected to. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination, and therefore, it is prohibited in the workplace. If an employer chooses not to address a victim’s complaints, a South Dakota sexual harassment attorney will.

If an employee in SD would like help getting connected with a sexual harassment law firm in their city that can assist them with recognizing their harasser and potentially recovering compensation for the impact the incident has had on their life, they can contact USAtttorneys.com for help. USAttorneys.com will help an employee who works in any city in SD, whether it is in Sioux Falls or even Rapid City find and retain a lawyer who is qualified and eager to help them.