Employment Litigation Lawyer
No one should have to deal with sexual harassment at work. Every person deserves to work for a company that doesn’t allow unwanted inappropriate interactions between coworkers to happen. Sadly, many times sexual harassment happens between a person of authority and another employee, to which the latter is made to feel like if they do not reciprocate that their job will then be in jeopardy. No one deserves to be put in such a situation. So if this is true for you or someone else that you are worried about, then now is the time to intervene by contacting a lawyer and recruiting help from law enforcement as well.
As an employment litigation lawyer from Eric Siegel Law explains, if you aren’t sure if what you or another person has experienced is in fact sexual harassment, consider these signs that it probably is happening.
You Feel Discomfort
If something does not feel right to you, then you’re probably correct. Our body sends us signals even if we cannot fully decipher what is wrong or not. Listen to your body and how it responds in certain situations you are put in. Do you cringe or feel compelled to pull away? Do you feel embarrassed, disgusted, or just the ick? To figure out if someone’s behavior is of a sexual nature and offensive is one that each person will have to decide for themselves. But ultimately, unwanted interactions of a sexual tone constitutes as sexual harassment.
You Saying No Is Not Heard
It’s not against the law to date a coworker, but it’s usually not a good idea. But if someone makes unwanted romantic advances at you while working and you have already said no, it can turn into an illegal sexual harassment situation if they don’t stop. If this person continues to let you know they are interested in you romantically and persists despite your declines, that may indicate sexual harassment is happening to you, and must be intervened and stopped immediately.
Differential Treatment
Sexual harassment is considered a form of sex discrimination, and is against the law when it happens in the workplace. One primary sign that harassment may be happening to you is if you are getting different treatment compared to others based on your gender. For instance, if your manager treats one gender differently than those of the opposing gender, this differential treatment could be a form of discrimination. If you are treated adversely in a harmful way based on your gender, this conduct may point to sexual harassment.
Bullying Culture
Workplace bullying can demoralize everyone, and may be based on romantic or sexual advances which result in a hostile workplace environment. If someone is teasing you about your body, sexuality, gender, or attempting to force you into a date with them, you may be the victim of workplace sexual harassment. Bullying should not be tolerated, as it can have devastating and long-term consequences on the victim. Bullying can have a sexual connotation, and the offender must be halted and held accountable before it can continue.
