Sexual harassment has no place in any work environment, yet many people deal with it all the time. Some people put up with it, hoping that it will stop on its own or that they’ll be more successful in their fields, but the reality is that it’s dangerous for them and shouldn’t be taking place.
Sexual harassment can be caused by almost anyone in a workplace, including:
- Supervisors
- Owners
- Coworkers
- Clients
- Third-party workers
Here’s an example. Imagine that Susan walks into work wearing a skirt on Tuesday. A co-worker whistles at her, and she is surprised by it but laughs it off. The next day, she comes in wearing jeans for a casual day, and her supervisor calls her into his office stating that her outfits are causing a distraction for some of her male colleagues. The next day, she wears a completely appropriate suit for a meeting, and she catches a co-worker trying to look down her blouse.
All of these activities could add up to sexual harassment against Susan, and she should be writing these events down and preparing to take action. She should speak with her human resources department first, but if that doesn’t work, then she may have a case against the company for failing to stop her co-workers or supervisors from harassing her based on her appearance.
Our website has more on employment law and what you should do if you’ve been sexually harassed on the job. Whether you face gender discrimination or harassment, you have options open to you to prevent this from happening in the future and to stop it now.