6 Different Types of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
A workplace should be a safe environment for everyone. You spend a considerable amount of time at work, and you need the place to be an environment where you are comfortable. You should not put up with any sort of sexual harassment in the workplace. As soon as it happens, you have to report it.
Many people do not know how to deal with sexual harassment, causing them to keep quiet for a long time. If you have experienced sexual harassment in your place of work, you can consult Lane & Lane, and work with experienced attorneys who will help you get justice.
Read on to learn about the different types of sexual harassment that can happen in the workplace.
1. Offensive Jokes
Sometimes, coworkers may share jokes while working or during breaks. However, some jokes can be offensive to certain people. For example, if a coworker makes offensive jokes about your sexual identity, that is sexual harassment.
Sexual jokes in the workplace are also inappropriate, and if you feel uncomfortable about the jokes, you need to report them to the correct department.
2. Offensive Pictures
Another form of sexual harassment is showing offensive pictures to a coworker or employee. Sometimes, a coworker or employer will send you sexual images in an email or file. Not everyone is comfortable looking at offensive pictures. Therefore, if a coworker or employer sends you offensive pictures or tries to make you look at them, you can report them for sexual harassment.
3. Unwanted Physical Contact
Unwanted physical contact is one of the most common forms of sexual harassment in the workplace. Everyone in the workplace needs to respect each other’s private space.
Unwanted physical contact can be any type of touching, grabbing, patting, and massaging, among others. As soon as someone touches you, let them know and ask them to stop it. You can also report them for sexual harassment.
4. Unwanted Sexual Advances
Sometimes, an employer or senior coworker may ask you for sexual favors or face certain consequences. They can promise to demote or terminate you if you do not agree to their sexual advances.
This behavior is prohibited by law, and you do not have to offer sexual favors at work. You can choose to ask the offender to stop before reporting them. However, you can also choose not to confront them and just go ahead and file the complaint.
5. Sexual Intimidation
Sexual intimidation is being subject to constant unreasonable behavior that is mostly sexual, resulting in humiliation or discomfort of the victim. Most of the time, sexual intimidation is verbal.
An example of sexual intimidation is when a coworker or supervisor constantly implies that you got your job by giving sexual favors. Spreading such rumors in the workplace is embarrassing to the victim and can cause alienation.
6. Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse can happen both in the workplace and away from the workplace. Sexual abuse can include all kinds of sexual activity. The offenders usually take advantage of the workplace familiarity and can repeat the sexual abuse for a long period.
Sexual abuse can cause trauma, and it may take a long time before the victim fully recovers. If you have been sexually abused, you should report the behavior or threat of abuse as soon as it happens.
Reach Out to a Sexual Harassment Attorney
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, you need to report it soon as possible. All organizations need to protect their workers from sexual harassment, and if you have been sexually harassed, you can recover damages from your employer by contacting a sexual harassment attorney to help you get justice.