How Can I Report Sexual Harassment at Work?
Sexual harassment is pervasive in many Florida workplaces, and the only way to address it is to take action against it. Whether you have been the target of sexual harassment or you are being harmed by working in an environment where sexual harassment is pervasive, how can you report it? Consider the following information from our South Florida sexual harassment attorneys.
Understand the Type of Sexual Harassment and Who Can Report It
As the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) explains, sexual harassment typically can take two separate forms:
- Quid pro quo sexual harassment, or “this for that,” where an employee is approached by an employer or someone in a supervisory position who requests sexual favors in exchange for a benefit; and
- Hostile work environment sexual harassment, where unwelcome and often pervasive harassment creates an environment that a reasonable person would find to be abusive, intimidating, and hostile.
The EEOC emphasizes that sexual harassment in the above categories can include “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature,” but that it “does not have to be of a sexual nature” and can also “include offensive remarks about a person’s sex.”
To file a quid pro quo sexual harassment claim, you must be the target of the harassment. To file a hostile work environment sexual harassment claim, you do not have to be the target — having to work in that environment allows you to file a claim. Further, unlike qui pro quo harassment where the harasser must be in a supervisory position, hostile work environment cases can be reported and claims can be filed whether the harasser is a supervisor, co-worker, or even a customer or client.
Work with a Lawyer to Follow Requirements for Reporting or Making a Claim or Charge
Workplaces are supposed to have methods in place for employees to report sexual harassment and for investigations to occur. You should work with a lawyer to determine your first steps for reporting harassment at your workplace.
Then, your lawyer can discuss your options for filing a charge or a claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (these charges are handled by the EEOC) or a complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR).
Contact a Palm Beach Gardens Sexual Harassment Attorney for Assistance Moving Forward with a Sexual Harassment Case in Florida
Reporting sexual harassment can feel like a daunting and intimidating thing to do. You may fear retaliation — which is unlawful, to be clear — and you may have concerns about how moving forward with a claim will impact your job, your relationship with your co-workers, and other aspects of your employment. Yet reporting sexual harassment is the only way for this unlawful behavior to be properly addressed and remedied in the workplace. Whether you have experienced quid pro quo sexual harassment or hostile work environment harassment yourself, or you are currently experiencing a hostile work environment due to the pervasiveness of sexual harassment at your workplace, you may be able to move forward with a claim with support from one of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens sexual harassment lawyers at Sconzo Law Office. Contact our firm today to learn more about how we can assist you from start to finish with a sexual harassment case in Florida.
Sources:
eeoc.gov/sexual-harassment
fchr.myflorida.com/file-a-complaint
