Why Sexual Harassment Is Such a Big Deal and What You Should Do about It Legally
The unfortunate reality is that sexual harassment is actually still a major part of the workplace. Statistics show that more than 50% of women are likely to face cases of sexual harassment while working in a corporate environment. These statistics pertain to women specifically, but what about men. Can men even be harassed sexually in the workplace?
Sexual harassment of men in the workplace
Yes, according to the law-and statistics- men can actually be sexually harassed when they are working in a corporate environment. Statistics show nearly one-third of men report facing sexual harassment in their workplace.
This would generally occur if one has a boss who is female. Just like how men take advantage of their female employees by ‘quid pro quo’, or asking for a sexual favor such as a date in exchange for a promotion or something similar, women who are in a leadership position can be held accountable for the same reason. The main problem which males face is that they are generally too cautious of their social image to even bring the matter up and this can be even more damaging to their emotional well- being and self-esteem.
Why sexual harassment is such a big deal
For the members in society who have been blessed by never having to face sexual misconduct before, they may question what the big deal is. Why did so many males in leadership positions fall so hard when they were charged for sexual misconduct during the ‘me too’ movement? The answer to this is simply because the damage done by sexual harassment can often be permanent and live with the victim for the rest of their life. This form of harassment seeps into every aspect of a person’s life and everything from their confidence to their personal relationships generally decline considerably when they are forced to face harm which is sexual in nature.
An otherwise successful person who is doing great in their career and in their romantic life can easily end up spiraling into depression, quitting their job, and even beginning to stay away from their romantic partner due to their bad memories associated with sexual acts. A person can literally have their life destroyed depending on how severe the harassment they faced was.
According to the law, what is sexual harassment in the workplace?
Sexual harassment in the workplace can take on a wide range of definitions varying from a rude sexual joke to physical assault. The punishment of the crime depends on exactly what took place and how much damage it caused to the victim. Some examples of sexual harassment include:
- Being approached or spoken to unwillingly
- Being touched without consent
- Having to listen to or partake in sexually explicit phrases or conversations
- Receiving emails and phone calls with hardly any professional or work-related basis
- Having to hear discriminating jokes about their particular gender
- Being asked for sexual favors in exchange for work benefits
- Directly being assaulted physically
Get a sexual harassment lawyer involved
Every victim should take a stand against workplace harassment and the best way to do that is to get a sexual harassment lawyer involved. Once an attorney steps in, individuals can easily take their case to court and things can escalate rapidly. Crimes of this nature are never taken lightly, especially if a person has substantial evidence, and the ‘me too’ movement is a good example of that. Anyone who has been assaulted in Akron Ohio should call a sexual harassment lawyer from the Law Offices of F.Benjamin Riek as a great first step to start building themselves back up again.
