17.1 Percent of EEOC Sexual Harassment Claims Involve Men as Victims

When you think of sexual harassment in the workplace, scenes from the old movie “9 to 5” featuring Dolly Parton’s character being chased around a desk by a boss who had less than honorable intentions. But the truth is that women are not by themselves when it comes to sexual harassment; men are subject to it too. While it is true that most cases involve women being harassed, there are more and more men stepping forward to detail the harassment that they experience at the hands of other workers and even their superiors. In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC, the agency tasked with handling claims of sexual harassment, reported that in 2015, 17.1 percent of the 6,822 sexual harassment claims received involved male victims.

In 1998, a SCOTUS ruling held that men are in fact, protected from harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you have been sexually harassed at work, count on Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers and our Los Angeles sexual harassment attorneys to help. We are aggressive advocates for our clients, standing up for their rights and helping them face down their abusers in a court of law.

What Constitutes Sexual Harassment?

No matter your gender, what constitutes sexual harassment is the same and is defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that explicitly or implicitly affect an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance; or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.”

Sexual harassment may come across as unwelcome touching, or it may play out as being pressured to go out with someone. Calling someone an offensive sexual nickname is also sexual harassment, as is making offensive or derogatory marks about the person or posting sexually explicit photos or handling conversational talk that is construed as sexual or even vulgar.

Some significant awards have been seen in the past for instances of female-on-male sexual harassment. Of these, some of the top cases involved retaliation against the male worker for refusing the sexual advance of a coworker or superior; unwelcome caressing and touching; and subjection to offensive jokes and comments of a sexual nature. Male-on-male sexual harassment is not unheard of.

Unreported Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment in the workplace goes largely unreported, and this may be truer still when the harassment involves a male employee. Many male victims fear that their coworkers will mock them, or they may be embarrassed to allow the details of the harassment to be known. Some men may feel like it is more “manly” to just handle the problem themselves.

Contact Our Compassionate Team

If you are experiencing sexual harassment at work, you are not alone. This type of behavior is not acceptable and should not be tolerated. Contact our Los Angeles sexual harassment attorney now at 310-527-6994 to discuss your legal options and hold the responsible party accountable for their actions.