Sexual harassment is a discriminatory behavior that impacts a lot of people in workplaces. It can victimize employees of any gender and cause uncomfortable work environments. If you have been a victim of sexual harassment on the job, you know how it affects your job performance and well-being. Because of this, you can take legal action against your harasser. A Charlotte sexual harassment attorney knows you have the right to a safe and healthy work environment and can fight for your other rights as a sexual harassment victim.
Kinds of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment victims may be subjected to a range of discriminatory behavior on the job. These include the following:
- Physical sexual harassment. This form of sexual harassment can include unwanted groping or touching sexual assault, taps, and hugs.
- Verbal or written assault. This includes inappropriate comments on the body or clothing of a worker, spreading rumors, and illicit jokes.
- Non-verbal harassment. This includes stalking, facial expression, inappropriate eye contact, or rude gestures.
- Visual harassment. This includes emails, photos, or other media that imply sexual acts or favors.
Federal law prohibits discriminatory and sexual harassment and employers must prevent and handle cases that involve this misconduct on the job. Thus, victims of sexual harassment at work are protected from harassment and discrimination as well as from retaliation by their employers for reporting harassment. If you are one of them, you can file a complaint to the HR department, or a government agency.
Reasons to Hire a Lawyer
A sexual harassment attorney can defend your case and assist you in the entire legal procedure you will go through after you file a claim. Here are some reasons you must engage an attorney for your lawsuit:
- Assess the genuineness of the act. Your sexual harassment claim may not be accepted when you occasionally engaged in sexual gossip, took part in offensive acts, or spoke illicit jokes. Your lawyer will ask you how you reacted to the offender and if you made them aware of the offensiveness of their actions.
- You sustained a lot of damage. Your company may expect you to submit to the harassment to save its reputation. But if you don’t pay heed to this, your company make take some adverse employment actions against you. Your lawyer will consider if you have experienced losses because of sexual misconduct including termination, demotion, or loss of pay.
- Sexual harassment was reported. Your sexual harassment attorney may check if you reported the committed act to your supervisor or manager if your harasser is a coworker or peer. If a senior authority harassed you, your lawyer will check if you have evidence of this misconduct such as emails or text messages.
