Sexual harassment in the workplace can have a devastating emotional and even financial impact on victims.
If you experience sexual harassment at work and go through all the proper channels within the company to stop it to no avail, you still have legal options.
When you need legal action
The first step when someone sexually harasses you at work is to report the incident to your supervisor or manager according to company rules. However, that does not always work. If your employer does nothing or tells you to drop the claim, you may need to take your case outside the workplace and consult legal counsel. The same is true if your employer retaliated against you, such as demoting, firing or treating you unfairly.
What you could recover
In a workplace harassment claim through the civil court, you can seek damages for all the consequences you suffered as a result of the harassment and your employer’s failure to respond accordingly. Examples of the specific losses you could recover include:
- Lost wages if you missed work
- Loss of employment if your employer fired you in retaliation
- Emotional distress from the harassment
- The strain and stress of working in a hostel work environment
- Medical expenses if your case involves any physical injuries
- Cost of mental health treatments needed as a result of the harassment
If the harasser behaved especially egregiously, you may also access punitive damages.
If you experienced sexual assault by someone you work with, you can call the police and report the crime immediately.
