Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and You
As it is in many industries, harassment at work and employment discrimination of the sexual kind is a possibility wherever there are two genders of people, and many do not know what constitutes workplace harassment. The legal experts at Sexual Harassment Attorney Group are here to assist victims of bullying at work and discrimination in the workplace. They have been defending victims of this despicable practice for years, and have worked on hundreds of successful cases.
Verbally Inappropriate Language Is Still Sexual Harassment
Regrettably, many victims of sexual harassment believe that sexual harassment only consists of sexual physical abuse, when in reality it also made up of sexual verbal abuse. The United States Government, along with the State of California, defines sexual harassment under two main categories, or types, the first of which is Quid Pro Quo harassment, also known as a tangible employer action. The other half of sexual harassment is named a hostile work environment. Although the focus of this article is on verbal harassment, it is important to note that any unwanted physical contact at all that is intentional can be considered sexual harassment.
What is Sexual Verbal Harassment?
The definition of verbal harassment can occasionally seem confusing, but there are always certain requirements it must meet, and to that end, various interpretations of the law. In regards to a verbally hostile work environment, verbal harassment can include but is not limited to sexually suggestive comments on anything, such as clothing, lifestyles, jokes and crude humor, sexual orientation, race, gender, ethnicity, anatomical referencing about anyone’s body, and various other verbal phrases such as these. As it pertains to Quid Pro Quo harassment, sexual verbal abuse can take many forms, including that of sexual solicitation of sexual favors in exchange for continued employment, delayed termination, merited or unmerited promotion, access to files, along with the standard verbal comments of a sexual nature as previously described. A good rule of thumb to know whether you have been sexually harassed or not is to consider the following: If someone has said something near or at you, did it make you feel uncomfortable or hurt you in any way? Was this comment or question sexual in nature? If any of these answers are yes, then you may have been verbally abused.
Rights and Limitations of Verbal Abuse in the Workplace
Having the definition of sexual harassment to a verbal degree down pat, it is also important to know who has perpetrated the harassment and its location. Verbal Abuse can be inflicted by anyone in a professional setting, not just those that the victim works with on a daily basis. This expands the potential perpetrators to any individual the victim has come into contact with professionally, such as a delivery person, a guest speaker, a workshop director, etc. Sexual Harassment at work does not exclusively occur at a singular location, either. It can happen anywhere in which the victim is required, allowed or sanctioned to be by their employer for any reason. Examples of a workplace related location are a company retreat, an out-of-house meeting, a training seminar, a workshop, and many other places.
Defense Against Workplace Verbal-Sexual Harassment in California
If you or a loved one have been sexually harassed in a verbal form, then contact the legal professionals at Sexual Harassment Attorney Group immediately so that they may start defending your workplace rights. Call our legal team at (888) 759-1274 and ask to speak with one of our top sexual harassment attorneys about your unfortunate incident, and they will advise you on how best to proceed, legally speaking. Or if you’d prefer, send us an e-mail by clicking on this link and requesting an in-house consultation so you can explain your workplace bullying situation to one of our lawyers.