A new poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC reveals that 48% of women surveyed have experienced sexual harassment at work. Near as many men admit that they have personally witnessed women being harassed. The vast majority of respondents, which included 900 adults, believe that sexual harassment takes place in most or almost all workplaces.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by law. Sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment that is sexual in nature.
The victims and harasser may be men or women of the same or opposite sex. The harasser can be a supervisor, a coworker or even a non-employee who makes unwelcome overtures to the victim. The victim does not have to be the one being harassed, but could be someone negatively affected by the offensive conduct. Sexual harassment in and of itself is illegal and does not need to culminate in a negative employment action such as termination to occur.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, it is important to first tell the harasser that the conduct is unwelcome. If it does not stop immediately, the victim should use any employer mechanism or grievance system to make a formal complaint. In the event your concerns are not addressed, it is advisable to seek the help of an experienced sexual harassment attorney to stand up for your rights.
Experienced Davenport Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Lawyers
Sexual harassment is a serious matter and should not be tolerated. However, many clients are unsure if they have an actionable employment discrimination case until they discuss their situation with an experienced employment law attorney. If you believe you have discriminated against in your Iowa workplace, contact the Davenport sexual harassment lawyers of McDonald, Woodward & Carlson PC at 563-355-6478 for a confidential case evaluation.