Have You Experienced Sexual Harassment? You Don’t Have to Suffer Alone
No one should have to suffer through the fear, upset and hopelessness sexual harassment can cause. Unfortunately, many workers of both genders face sexual harassment in the workplace.
You may feel scared and uncertain about where to turn when this happens. Perhaps you have already approached your human relations department, and nothing was done about it. Maybe your boss threatened to fire you if you told anyone about what was happening. Your sense of isolation has kept you from seeking help outside the company. However, you don’t have to go through this by yourself. You can have a sharp and steady advocate on your side.
If you have been targeted by your employer, coworkers, clients, vendors or others in the workplace, a sexual harassment attorney at Weisberg Cummings, P.C., will listen to your story. If you decide to work with Weisberg Cummings, P.C., our legal team will help you gather the evidence you need to fight back.
What Is Sexual Harassment?
Many people feel uncertain if their experience qualifies as sexual harassment. Oftentimes those doing the harassing claim it’s “all in good fun” or “just a joke.” That doesn’t diminish your feelings of discomfort, anger or awkwardness, though. Sexual harassment can occur once, or it can be a repeated activity. Remember, it is never your fault, and you didn’t “ask for” this behavior to happen.
Understanding the definition of sexual harassment may help you decide if you have experienced it. Sexual harassment at work can include:
- Sexual assault
- Unwanted sexual touching or uncomfortably familiar and inappropriate physical contact
- Demands (often accompanied by threats or by promises of promotion or other benefits)
- Inappropriate comments about a person’s body
- Sexual and inappropriate text messages, e-mails and other material
- Sexually inappropriate jokes or pornography left round the workplace
- Stalking
Sexual Harassment Wears Many Faces
There is no such thing as a typical case of sexual harassment. Victims can be any age, any sex, any ethnicity, any religion and any sexual orientation. Harassment is about power and trying to exert that power over someone. The person harassing you may not even be a subordinate. Someone you don’t work for can sexually harass you at work.
When people think of sexual harassment, they may think of a younger worker being victimized by an older employer. In actual fact, sexual-harassment at work can take many forms:
- Sexual harassment by a coworker
- Sexual harassment by an employer or supervisor
- Sexual harassment by a vendor, client or other third-party
Many people who are targeted by sexual harassment hesitate in bringing forward charges because they worry there isn’t enough evidence or they worry the instances of harassment are too minor. Many victims of sexual harassment also at first think no one will believe them. If you have been targeted by a perpetrator, please keep in mind there are people who will believe you and who will stand up for you. The attorneys at Weisberg Cummings, P.C., for example, have been fighting on behalf of employees for years.
Sexual harassment is against the law. It also creates a toxic, hostile workplace. If you have been targeted by sexual harassment in the workplace, contact Weisberg Cummings, P.C. From our offices in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, our law firm handles sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits across Pennsylvania. Our attorneys have more than 40 years of combined experience, and our compassionate staff is standing by to hear your story and to discuss your legal options. Contact us for a free consultation.
Sexual Harassment by a Coworker
Many women stay silent about sexual harassment because they don’t want to cause trouble or get someone fired. But if a persistent co-worker won’t take no for an answer or a fellow employee crosses the line with sexual behavior, you don’t have to stand for it.
Your employer needs to know about the behavior, and if he or she won’t do anything about it, the lawyers at Weisberg Cummings, P.C., will. Our employment law attorneys can help you enforce your rights and explore your legal options, including filing a lawsuit against the company for failing to provide a work environment free from sexual harassment.
You do not have to remain subject to unfair treatment. If you dread going to work because of the harassment you have suffered, rest assured that this situation does not need to continue. You need a sexual harassment attorney who will fight for you and make your case.
Do You Have a Claim? Call 717-238-5707 or e-mail us for a free case evaluation. We represent those in the Harrisburg area and south central Pennsylvania experiencing sexual harassment by a co-worker.
What Is CoWorker Sexual Harassment?
What maybe began as harmless flirting or annoying comments can escalate into a serious problem that makes you uncomfortable or fearful. It can even affect your ability to do your job. Any of these actions may constitute sexual harassment:
- Sexual assault or physical intimidation
- Groping, fondling or other unwanted touching
- Pressure for sex or dates
- Demeaning comments about your body
- Sexually charged e-mails or text messages
- Exposure to pornography or sexually explicit jokes
- Sexual advances outside of the workplace
- Stalking behavior
Even if you dated the co-worker at some point, it’s over when you say it’s over. It is still sexual harassment if unwanted overtures continue after you have ended the relationship. However, it is critical to disclose the prior association when claiming harassment.
Reporting Harassment
You may have told the harasser to stop. You may have complained to other co-workers. However, if you have not done so, you must report a co-worker’s sexual harassment to a supervisor or human resources officer. Management may or may not have been aware of the problem. When you file a formal complaint, your employer is required to take action to protect you.
At Weisberg Cummings, P.C., our attorneys are here to support you through a difficult process. We prepare you to report the abusive behavior and show you how to document the harassment and any retaliation, including wrongful termination for filing a claim against the company.
What if Your Employer Does Nothing to Stop the Harassment?
Your employer is required to take action to stop the harassment at work. If your employer fails to take any action, you may have an employment claim against your employer. Our attorneys can explain your options and the process for holding your employer accountable.
Contact us today for a free consultation. This conversation is completely confidential — no one will know unless you decide to move forward with a complaint.
HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY MANAGERS OR SUPERVISORS?
When a supervisor or manager makes sexual advances or demeaning comments, you may feel powerless and without options. If you do nothing, the behavior will most likely continue. Confronting the person or reporting harassment could have negative consequences. If you quit, you forfeit many rights and the abuse goes unpunished.
Before you take any action, contact the experienced and compassionate attorneys at Weisberg Cummings, P.C. We will explain your legal rights and walk you through the steps to report sexual harassment and build a claim against your employer.
Tell Us Your Story Call our Harrisburg law office at 717-238-5707 or e-mail us to arrange a free, confidential consultation. We take cases throughout south central Pennsylvania.
Seek Assistance From Your Pennsylvania Sexual Harassment Lawyers
Your employer is obligated to protect you against sexual harassment in the workplace, especially sexual harassment from a boss or anyone taking advantage of their position of authority over you. If the company does not take appropriation action, you have legal remedies, including filing a lawsuit for damages.
Your rights and the supervisor/subordinate relationship are never “off duty.” The employer is liable for a supervisor’s actions in the workplace or away from it. Examples of some of these prohibited actions include:
- Groping or sexual assault
- Unwanted sexual advances
- Demands for sex under threats of termination or other consequences
- Quid pro quo (sexual favors in exchange for a raise, promotion or perks)
- Touching, hugging or other uncomfortable contact
- Lewd comments about your body
- Sexually suggestive or explicit language, e-mails or pictures
- Retaliation after accusing a supervisor, including termination or workplace discrimination>
Reporting and Documenting the Abuse
In certain circumstances, you cannot sue unless you have made an official complaint to management or ownership. At Weisberg Cummings, P.C., we provide the moral support for this intimidating step and coach you on how to report sexual harassment, document the company’s response and deal with any continuing harassment.
We generally advise against quitting, because it can hurt your claim. However, even if you have already quit because of the hostile work environment, you might have a claim for constructive discharge.
Pursuing Compensation
Your employer may offer to settle in exchange for your resignation. We fight to ensure that you are compensated for the economic loss (lost earnings, future earnings, benefits) and emotional suffering. If your employer fights the claim, we are prepared to go to trial to hold him or her accountable.
Contact us today to discuss sexual harassment by a supervisor, manager or employer. In most cases, we take no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Sexual Harassment by a Vendor, Client or Other Third-Party
Sexual harassment of employees is not just a problem between workers and their supervisors or colleagues. Under certain circumstances, an employee can be exposed to harassment by third parties such as vendors, customers, clients or contractors.
In the first instance, your employer is not responsible for sexual harassment beyond its control, but it is responsible for protecting its own employees from a pattern of harassment. If you find that your boss is ignoring your reports and complaints of sexual harassment on the part of those you need to deal with as an essential part of your own work, contact the law firm of Weisberg Cummings, P.C., in Harrisburg for a free consultation.
Call 866-716-2315 or 717-238-5707 in Central Pennsylvania
Our attorneys have focused and dedicated their work on employment law and sexual harassment claims for years, and we can help you understand the important legal difference between an isolated instance of harassment and a conscious tolerance of a hostile work environment in violation of your state and federal workplace rights.
Establishing a claim for sexual harassment against your own employer for the acts of a third party depends on your lawyer’s ability to show each of the following circumstances:
- You have experienced continuing problems with sexual harassment with particular clients, customers, suppliers or others with whom your job puts you into frequent or regular contact
- Any reasonable person in your situation would find the pattern of harassment offensive
- You have reported the problem to your own employer through the channels established for the purpose
- A hostile work environment remains whether or not your employer has done anything to relieve the problem through reassignment or contact with the offending person’s employer
Sexual harassment of employees away from the home office can be particularly troublesome for employees in such fields as sales, home health care, catering or delivery. If you need advice about your legal options in the face of harassment by third parties, contact a lawyer at Weisberg Cummings, P.C., for a free consultation.
