Local Law Firms Home > Employment Law Overview > Employment Sexual Harassment Overview

Employment Sexual Harassment Overview

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EECO) defines sexual harassment as any “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” with specific intended outcomes. For example, it may be made known to the employee either explicitly or implicitly that submission to the unwanted conduct will impact the terms or conditions of the individual's employment. It may be indicated by the perpetrator that submission to or rejection of the sexual harassment could be used as a basis for employment decisions that may negatively impact the individual. Furthermore, the sexual harassment may be carried out in order to interfere with the individual's work performance. Sexual harassment is illegal, and victims of sexual harassment should seek legal help. Experienced lawyers for sexual harassment in the workplace cases can help provide the legal guidance necessary to build a strong case on your behalf.

If you have experienced any form of sexual harassment in the workplace, it is important that you speak to a lawyer. Contact an emplopyment law attorney in your area to discuss your sexual harassment case today.

Both state and federal laws have been established to protect employees from sexual harassment in the workplace. These laws identify any unwanted behaviors that are sexual in nature as sexual harassment. Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:

• Unwanted deliberate touching
• Unwanted sexual looks or gestures
• Sexual comments about clothing or anatomy
• Personal questions about sexual life
• Sexual comments, stories, or innuendos
• Staring
• Sexually suggestive signals
• Sexual gestures
• Facial expressions (winking or licking lips)
• Attempted rape or sexual assault
• Actual rape or sexual assault

There are numerous actions and behaviors that can be considered sexually harassing, and individuals that have been subject to these unwanted actions need the assistance of distinguished sexual harassment law firms.

In general, sexual harassment will be placed into one of two categories. These categories are quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environment harassment.

• Quid Pro Quo Harassment – occurs when an employee is expected to simply tolerate unwanted sexual harassment in order to maintain their job or job benefits. This type of harassment may also affect an employee's ability to obtain a raise or a promotion.
• Hostile Work Environment – reasonably interferes with the employee's ability to perform job related functions. The employee may feel their work environment is hostile, abusive, or offensive. There are several factors that can be used to determine if a workplace environment is indeed hostile. Whether the sexual harassment was verbal or physical, how frequently the conduct occurs, the employment position of the perpetrator, and whether others joined in the harassment are all factors that help establish that a hostile work environment exists.

Sexual harassment attorneys can be of invaluable assistance when trying to establish or prove either quid pro quo harassment or hostile work environment harassment.

There are two things that must be established before filing a sexual harassment claim. The individual filing the claim had to find the conduct to be abusive, offensive or hostile, and a reasonable person in the same position would also have found the behavior to be abusive, offensive, or hostile. Victims of sexual harassment may need the legal advice and counsel of knowledgeable and well-versed sexual harassment attorneys. For those that need help filing their claim, they may contact sexual harassment law firms for assistance.

Have you been a victim of any form of sexual harassment? If so, it is important that you speak to a experienced lawyer that can help. Contact an emplopyment law attorney in your area to discuss your sexual harassment case today.

Did you know?
Workplace sexual harassment claims are not just for women. According to the EEOC, approximately 16 percent of the sexual harassment charges are filed by men.