The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines unlawful sexual harassment as “any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.” Sexual harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
There are rules and procedures involved in filing a complaint. We are here to guide you through the process and can answer any questions you may have.
The two most common types of sexual harassment are:
- Quid pro quo: occurs when a person is required to perform some sort of sexual favor in exchange for advancement or even simply keeping a job.
- Hostile work environment: occurs when a person is subjected to inappropriate remarks about their body, inappropriate touching and advances, or rumors about their sex life or sexual orientation. A hostile work environment also includes being subjected to inappropriate jokes and the display or public sharing of sexually explicit images.
If you have been subjected to either type of harassment at your workplace, do not hesitate to contact our law firm.
Although we have counseled many women in regard to their sexual harassment case, we are seeing a rise in complaints from men. Male or female, do not hesitate to call us to discuss your legal rights.
Take Action, Step by Step
Step 1:
If you feel you are being subjected to repeated sexual harassment, you probably cannot picture yourself talking calmly to your HR representative about it. Yet that is a solid, first step to take. There needs to be documentation of your complaint. Your employer needs to know you consider this a hostile work environment.
Step 2:
If the harassment does not end or your employer does nothing, you will need to file an administrative charge with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) and the EEOC. Your claim will be investigated and the agency will try to resolve it with your employer.
Step 3:
Legal action. If the FCHR or EEOC cannot resolve your complaint, and decides that your claim is valid, you will get a “right to sue” letter. This means that you can bring your case to court.
Talk to an experienced employment law attorney to ensure that your legal rights are protected. We will help you file the appropriate paperwork to the EEOC and represent you in mediation discussions. If a mediated settlement cannot be reached, we are ready to defend your rights with a lawsuit.