Seek the Help of a Sexual Harassment Lawyer

While you really like your new job, one of your coworkers is making you uncomfortable by making sexual innuendos towards you. You’re conflicted because you enjoy your job, but the behavior isn’t stopping. At the same time, you’re worried that filing a complaint might cause more harm to your career in the long run. 

If you’re not sure if the comments justify a report, or you’re concerned about retaliation, check out the following sections to learn about what sexual harassment is and when it’s best to speak with a legal professional.

What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is defined as any form of unwanted touching, inappropriate comments or jokes, or sexual favors from a coworker, supervisor, customer, or client that creates a hostile or offensive work environment.

Many types of sexual harassment aren’t “sexual.” It can also look like teasing, intimidating, offensive comments based on stereotypes, bullying someone or a group of people based on their sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

How a Sexual Harassment Lawyer Can Help

If you’re dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace, you may feel conflicted about what to do. Speaking with a professional attorney can help you get the answers you need to make the right decision for yourself. Some of those questions might be:

· Was it considered sexual harassment in the eyes of the law?

· How should I respond to the harasser?

· Should I report the harassment to human resources?

· Are there things I can do to protect myself against future harassment?

· How can I prevent my employer from retaliating against me for reporting the conduct?

While every sexual harassment claim is different, an employment discrimination lawyer can help to advise on how to move forward. They can look into your employer’s policy to determine who you’re required to report the claim to in order to hold your employer responsible. In cases where the harasser is a manager, the law does not require you to report it in order to hold your employer responsible. Dealing with a sexual harassment matter can be emotionally draining, an employment discrimination lawyer can assist you in outlining your description of conduct so that you’re all prepared to speak with human resources or a manager. 

How You Can Protect Yourself

An employment discrimination lawyer can advise you on any additional steps that can be taken to protect yourself. These may include:

· Collect documentation of the harassment and all communication about the matter with your employer.

· Prepare you on how best to deal with the harasser if the conduct continues.

· Provide guidance on how to report future harassment.

· Monitoring your employer’s response to the complaint to ensure that they don’t retaliate against you.

Retaliation

By law, employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who report sexual harassment. Retaliation can take many forms, as it’s not limited to disciplinary action. For instance, if your manager takes you off desired projects or excludes you from meetings, events, or even social gatherings, an employment discrimination lawyer can thoroughly analyze these actions to determine if they’re considered retaliation. 

Contact Our Employment Discrimination Law Firm Today

If you’re experiencing sexual harassment in your workplace, rely on Odom Law Group to assist you in reporting the matter. Our employment discrimination lawyers have years of experience in providing quality legal assistance to clients across Pensacola, Crestview, Panama City, Destin, Fort Walton, Milton, Navarre, Pace, FL and the surrounding regions. No matter the nature of your case, contact our law firm to schedule a consultation with one of our sexual harassment lawyers.