How to Recognize Sexual Harassment at Work
No one deserves to be sexually harassed and if you feel you are the victim of this type of behavior, contact a sexual harassment lawyer immediately. Just because the harassment is delivered in a joke or a prank, does not make it okay.
Whether at work or school, any form of sexual harassment is unacceptable. Most workplaces and schools should have specific codes of conduct that state that all sexual harassment, even if it comes in the form of a prank, as a violation.
Signs You Should Consult a Sexual Harassment Lawyer
- If you feel that you have to put up with the sexual harassment in order to maintain your employment
- If you feel that a professional advancement or raise will be directly related to how you respond to the sexual harassment
- If you feel that your work environment has become uncomfortable and that your work performance is being affected by the harassment
- If you have been non-consensually and inappropriately touched in the work place
- If you are being called offensive names in the office that are related to your sex
Even if any of the above situations are happening under the guise of a joke or a prank, it still constitutes sexual harassment and you should still consult with a sexual harassment lawyer.
Some people think that making light of sexual harassment, or executing it in a way they think is funny, means it is just a prank or a joke. A YouTube prankster has recently been in the hot seat after uploading a video of himself asking for directions from women and then pinching their backsides. What someone might think is a good joke is actually being perceived as sexual harassment to many viewers.
Don’t ever be made to feel that you can’t take a joke when someone is making you feel uncomfortable and harassed in the workplace. The problem is not your sense of your humor. Rather, the problem is the inappropriate behavior of the harasser.
Before consulting with a sexual harassment lawyer, the person being sexually harassed might first want to try to confront the harasser. In most situations, the sexual harassment will not stop if you do nothing. You could try asking the person directly to stop his or her words or actions.
It is important to note that it is not just women who can feel sexually harassed in the workplace. This can happen to either sex and often men feel uncomfortable reporting sexual harassment. However, if either sex feels they are the victim of a joke or a prank that has crossed a line into sexual harassment, it should be reported to a sexual harassment lawyer.
