What is it?
It is difficult to work effectively when experiencing harassment at work. Harassment that focuses on gender or sexual characteristics is particularly challenging because an employee may feel isolated, and in some cases, threatened. For instance, an employer may expect sexual favors from an employee in exchange for different treatment at work. Other examples of sexual harassment may include employees working in hostile, intimidating or offensive work environments. Sometimes a supervisor or co-worker harasses another employee because of race, national origin, or age. This type of harassment is also unlawful and an employer should take immediate steps to remedy the situation.
What is the consequence?
Federal and state law protects employees from sexual harassment. Some remedies an employee may seek include:
- A court order to stop the harmful employer behavior.
- Back pay if the employee was wrongfully terminated or lost a job opportunity as a result of the sexual harassment.
- Front pay, or pay the employee would have received in the future if the harassment had not prevented the employee’s return to the workplace.
- Attorney fees for the costs of securing an attorney to fight the case.
For more information about sexual harassment in the workplace, contact Triquetra Law at: 717-299-6300.