Your workplace is meant to be a productive zone. If you have experienced any kind of sexual harassment at work in White Plains, you need to understand your rights and take the right stance. Before anything else, you need to understand that you don’t have to withstand harassment in any form, no matter who is on the other end. You deserve to work with dignity and respect. Employees often don’t want to talk about sexual harassment, primarily because they are worried about the consequences. You need a White Plains employment law attorney to guide you. We have a few pointers below that are worth keeping in mind.
Different Types of Sexual Harassment
There are essentially two types of sexual harassment –
- Quid pro quo harassment: This is the type of harassment where someone asks for sexual favors in return for workplace benefits, such as a promotion. The employee is under pressure to deliver because they believe that refusing to cooperate may have an adverse effect on their job.
- Hostile work environment harassment: In this kind of harassment, an employee is subjected to an environment where they don’t feel safe or are constantly made the subject of fun or sexual remarks.
Examples of sexual harassment
Several examples of harassment happen at workplace, including –
- Jokes about the sex or sexual orientation of the person
- Making offensive comments or remarks about someone’s body
- Promising a better reward or performance review in exchange for sexual favors
- Displaying or sharing sexually-suggestive materials at work
- Making unwelcome and unsolicited sexual advances
Taking further action
When you reported the matter to your HR or supervisor but received no response, you have the right to initiate a claim. You need a competent lawyer who specializes in employment law and will give you a clear outline of all the legal options. Just because you filed a complaint doesn’t mean your employer has the right to retaliate against you. You have the right to take action against your employer if you were wrongfully fired from the job because you reported sexual harassment at work. An attorney will be your trusted aide as you navigate through the process and take the next few steps.
You can check online on websites like Nolo to find top lawyers. Many law firms in White Plains don’t charge a fee to review potential cases, and you can always share your concerns to get concrete answers.