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3 Common Questions You May Have About Sexual Harassment at Work

by Gene Vasquez

Being sexually harassed by a co-workers can make your job really uncomfortable. If you're currently experiencing sexual harassment, you most likely have questions about it so you can figure out what to do. Here are some common questions so you understand the legal issues that surround it.

What's Sexual Harassment?

Being a victim of sexual harassment means that someone made a sexual statement, request, or physical touch towards you in your work environment. It also includes conduct that's considered threatening or embarrassing in a sexual nature. Either person's gender will not be important, since someone can be sexually harassed by someone of the same or opposite gender.

When sexual harassment happens at the workplace, people sometimes feel like being receptive or dismissive of those sexual advances can have an impact on their job. For instance, receiving sexual advances could result in a promotion, while declining them could result in being fired. However, it's possible for sexual harassment to happen without any sort of threat or harm directly implied to the person being victimized.

Are Superiors Only Liable for Sexual Harassment?

Do not assume that sexual harassment at the workplace must come from someone in a position of power. It can come from anybody, which includes someone higher up than you, a co-worker, or even someone in a subordinate position. In addition, sexual harassment can be done by employees of other companies that you work with.

What Can Victims Do if They Are Sexually Harassed?

The first thing you should do is tell the perpetrator that their sexual advances are not welcome. By making it known, you will have a better case against repeat offenses. If you have a formal HR department, you should go through the process of filing a grievance so that what happened is on a formal record somewhere. The HR department may even step in to talk with the employee about their behavior. If you have evidence, such as texts or email, you should save these in a place where you can easily access them.

When you feel like your case is not being handled properly by your company's human resource department, you should consider working with a local lawyer like John H. Haskin & Associates, LLC to file a lawsuit. You can then take legal action against the company to compensate you in ways that you have been affected, such as lost wages due to making the complaint, or even damages for pain and suffering. Your lawyer will know what is best to do for your situation.

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