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Employees Deserve a Harassment-Free Work Environment
Harassment is illegal
Conduct which contributes to a hostile work environment is a violation of an employee’s right to feel safe on the job. It is illegal to harass a person because of their protected, personal characteristics. It is also illegal to create a sexually unwelcome work environment, or any work environment that condones offensive remarks or conduct. We have built our reputation protecting employees from unlawful sexual and other harassment.
Everyone is entitled to a comfortable work environment
When an employee becomes uncomfortable because of harassment at work, it is important to report it to a supervisor or human resources department. If the company’s employee handbook has a policy for reporting harassment, it should be followed. It is illegal for companies to retaliate against employees who complain about harassment, or who report harassment to government agencies. We can guide you through this process.
Call us if you have been harassed or retaliated against.
Harassment takes many forms:
- Making an employee the object of sexually charged remarks
- Touching or flirting with an employee
- Posting a sexually explicit picture where people can’t avoid seeing it
- Propositioning an employee, even as a joke
- Quid pro quo harassment – “Kiss me if you expect to be promoted”
- Using slang or derogatory terms in referring to employees of different races, religions, sexual preferences, ethnicities, etc.
- Mimicking an employee’s accent
- Commenting about an employee’s mental condition, even in jest – “Bob must have forgotten to take his meds today”
- Using age-related terms when referring to an employee (“Pops,” “over the hill”)
- Telling jokes or making comments that focus on an employee’s religion, race, national origin, gender, disability, etc.
Success Story: Female Employee Harassed by Suitor Empowered to Complain and Leave the Company on her Terms
Situation: Client was being sexually harassed by a co-worker who was interested in her romantically. Harassment included unwanted comments, in appropriate text messages and emails, and repeated attempts to ask her on a date.
Solution: We helped the client draft a complaint to human resources and assisted her through the internal investigation process.
Result: Client was able to successfully complain and eliminate the harassment, and then extricate herself from the Company with a favorable separation package