Everyone thinks that when the term sexual harassment is mentioned, it is something that happens to women. The truth is, that it does happen more often to women, but it’s something that everyone can experience at the workplace.
It’s highly inappropriate to see some of the colleagues treat you with disrespect. Sexual harassment has many forms and even though some people see their actions as normal and not disrespectful, they are still committing harassment in some form. Learn more about this here.
In this article, we’re going to talk more about what this is, how it happens, what you need to do, and how to protect yourself. We will learn why you need attorneys, what their role is, and how to pick the best for your situation. Keep up and see more on the subject.
How sexual harassment happens?
Whenever a colleague or the bosses make a comment towards you based on sexuality, you’re being harassed and there’s a reason to start a process against them. There are differences in how this comment was made, though.
For example, complementing your dress and how lovely it looks does not stand for sexual harassment. However, complementing the dress and how good it looks on your body, is a clear case of sexual harassment.
There are more examples like this one. They all lead to the very simple background of what the comment stands for. It’s important what the comment is trying to achieve. If it is an admiration of what you did and has nothing to do with your physical appearance, then this is simply a compliment and it is great having it.
However, most people who are harassing are hiding behind this. They make comments on the physical appearance of the victim using words that are not directly pointing this out. They might say how the dress looks great and it is a perfect choice, but the designer should have made it shorter.
It is a clear indicator that this person would like to see your legs, which is completely inappropriate for the workplace. This is a place where people are not supposed to indulge in these things. They are supposed to work and progress. Every possible expressing sympathy can and should be done after the working hours.
We can’t stop our emotions if they happen. This is not something we can control. However, we can control our behavior. Everyone at the office should hold themselves from making inappropriate comments, and actions. See some examples on the link: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/examples-of-sexual-and-non-sexual-harassment-2060884.
If a person keeps finding ways to touch you when this isn’t necessary, this is a clear case of sexual harassment. If they come over while you work and touch you on the shoulder asking what are you working on, it’s clear harassment.
How to protect yourself?
Some people are scared of getting into conflict, especially with their bosses. They let things slide. They think that they might lose their job if they raise their voice. In some cases, this is what is going to happen, but working under these kinds of conditions is never smart.
After some time, you’ll mentally break and the workplace will be the place where you hate going. No money can compensate for the fear and the unhappiness that you will experience every day. This is why you should raise your voice the first moment something like this happens.
If it continues, you should hire the best sexual harassment lawyer NYC and ask for their advice on how to handle the situation. In most cases, just a call from the lawyer will be enough for the problem to be ended. No one likes going to court and dealing with this problem.
A lawyer will prepare a letter in which they will explain the problem. They will ask on your behalf for this behavior to stop, or they will go forward with the procedure. The next step is a lawsuit. For this, you will need some evidence, so you should better have someone to be a witness.
If you’re planning to tape the person harassing you, make sure you know how to do it through a legal procedure. Not everything is considered evidence, so you should consult an attorney before you do anything.
What is the best sexual harassment attorney?
The best one comes in the form of reputation and experience. The best sexual harassment lawyers are those who have been representing people in cases like these for decades. You don’t necessarily need to look for the one that has 30 years of experience, of course.
Everything over five years is considered excellent, but the more experience they have, the better for you. They’ll know how to handle all problems that appear during the case. They probably already know everyone in the court, know how to get things their way, and all this is in your favor.
When it comes to reputation, you should know that not all attorneys are perfect. Yes, they all went to law school, but not all of them know how to represent you properly in the court of law. Some are better than others, just like in every other profession.
Their reputation can be found easily on the internet. There’s the track record every lawyer has, and it’s up to you to research and find the one that seems to be the best for this job. Of course, you’re not going to look all across the US, but look for those who do their role perfectly and are close to you.
Conclusion
The final point is that you should never accept sexual harassment at the workplace. Accepting it as normal will only let the person’s behavior worsen. They might start with a comment, go to touch on the shoulder, and the next thing you know they are trying to get inside the toilet cabin with you.
However, finding a great attorney can make this stop before it escalates. The lawyer will give you advice about how to behave, what to do, and if there’s a need, they will write a case against them.
