You should not have to worry about your safety in any way when you go to work and you certainly should not have to worry about harassment of any kind. If the last few years have taught us anything, sexual harassment in the workplace will not be tolerated.
All it takes is speaking up.
But that is the hard part and we understand that. At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, our attorneys will handle your case with compassion and care. We know that this is a difficult thing to go through. We are sorry you have had to experience this kind of behavior at work.
When you need a Long Beach sexual harassment attorney, you can contact us today so we can work on getting the compensation you deserve.
In The Workplace
Workplace sexual harassment is not just an inconvenience that people can ignore or brush off as innocent behavior. This is something that can affect a person’s entire life, including their career, income, and emotional stability. The people who experience sexual harassment in the workplace often feel like they have no way out, especially if they do not have any other job options readily available.
At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, we want you to know that you have a voice and we will help amplify it. The people who have harassed you need to be held accountable.
What Is Sexual Harassment
Studies show that as much as 27 percent of American adult women have been sexually harassed in the workplace. 74% of people say that their employers take sexual harassment seriously.
Why only 74%?
100% of employers need to take workplace sexual harassment seriously.
We want to look at sexual harassment, we can see that it is not always the physical contact that makes the behavior obvious. Certainly, physical sexual harassment happens and includes the following:
- Any unwanted touching
- Kissing
- Groping
- Brushing of hair
- “Accidental” bumps into people
- And more
But sexual harassment goes beyond that to other things. Have you ever heard the following at work:
“Hey, that dress really shows your curves.”
“Wow, you’ll get promoted soon. Look at that body.”
“I’ll show you a real man.”
That is sexual harassment
If a coworker has ever blocked your ability to move through a doorway, continually asked you out, or encouraged sexual favors, that is sexual harassment.
Workplace Sexual Harassment In The Age Of Remote Work
It’s important to understand that you can be the victim of workplace sexual harassment even if you work from home. With more and more companies instituting remote work policies, it’s critical that workers understand their rights. The fact that you no longer share an office with your coworkers doesn’t mean they can’t harass you.
There are various ways a remote worker could still be subject to sexual harassment. The following are just a few examples:
- Receiving unwanted sexual propositions in the form of emails, phone calls, chat messages, etc.
- Being the subject of rumors regarding one’s sexual behavior, past, preferences, etc.
- Receiving emails or chat messages which contain sexually explicit messages.
- Being forced to read sexual jokes in chats.
- Seeing lewd images in video calls.
- Being asked questions about one’s sexual preferences, history, etc.
Again, that’s not an exhaustive list. If you have any reason to believe you’ve been sexually harassed in the workplace despite working from home, review your case with a legal professional for more information about your options. A qualified Long Beach sexual harassment attorney will help you better understand whether you have a valid case.
Long Beach Sexual Harassment Cases: How Employers Use Their Power For Sexual Purposes
One of the main points to take away from this overview is that workplace sexual harassment takes many forms. You should thus always feel comfortable meeting with an expert to review your case if you suspect you’ve been mistreated at work.
That said, it’s not uncommon for sexual harassment to involve supervisors and other such high-ranking members of a company using their status to request sexual favors.
Sometimes, they do so overtly. For example, a supervisor might make it clear to an employee that they must perform sexual favors in order to be granted a promotion or raise.
In other instances, the harassment may be more subtle. While a supervisor might not directly state that an employee must perform sexual favors to “earn” a promotion, they may strongly imply that their opportunities to move up at a company are tied to their willingness to grant sexual requests.
Employees should understand that this constitutes sexual harassment. If an employer at all suggests that performing sexual favors will influence a worker’s professional development, career prospects, etc., they’ve broken the law.
A Long Beach Sexual Harassment Attorney Encourages Filing A Complaint With Hr
Consult your employee handbook if you believe you’ve been the victim of workplace sexual harassment. It should offer information regarding how to report the matter to HR.
It may be true that HR will fail to remedy the issue. Be prepared to take your case to a Long Beach sexual harassment lawyer when this happens.
Regardless, even if HR isn’t likely to handle the matter properly, you should still file a formal complaint. Doing so can establish that you attempted to address your concerns internally before taking legal action. This will strengthen your overall case.
Moving On From Here
If you have experienced sexual harassment at work, you need to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. We know this can be incredibly difficult to deal with, but let us be your voice for a little while. At Rager & Yoon – Employment Lawyers, our qualified and experienced team is ready to investigate your case and begin pursuing the compensation you deserve for what you have been through. That can include the following:
- Lost wages and benefits
- Reinstatement if necessary
- Pain and suffering damages
- Punitive damages
If you need a Long Beach sexual harassment attorney, you can contact us by clicking here or calling us at 310-527-6994 for a free consultation.