In essence, sexual Harassment involves violating someone through unwelcome sexual advances. The most prevalent form of sexual Harassment in the workplace is this, where sexual favors are demanded in exchange for other benefits. Sexual Harassment in Small Businesses is the most common case seen in history; it mainly affects women in workplaces. In larger companies and corporations, established protocols or strict rules with resources are made to address such matters.
In small businesses, these protocols are missing, and the infrastructure is not efficient enough to handle such situations professionally. The result is that the victims of these matters are much more vulnerable to such conditions and isolate the problem to themselves. Raising the voice is the most important thing. If you are also facing such issues at your workplace, you should consult some White Plains employment attorneys if you are a resident of White Plains City.
What are the common types of workplace harassment?
Sexual Harassment can be of many types; here are some common cases that have occurred in the past:
- Unwelcome jokes or remarks concerning someone's body emergence.
- Improper physical contact, like pinching, patting, or intentionally brushing against someone.
- Sharing sexually disturbing direct messages or photos.
- Pressuring individuals for dates or sexual favors in exchange for promotions or job security.
Two types of sexual Harassment
- The first one is quid pro quo- complying with or rejecting the unwelcome sexual touches, or contact impacts the "tangible employment actions" concerning the employee, including decisions regarding hiring, promotion, termination, firing, or assignment to favorable shifts.
- The second one is a hostile environment- this form of Harassment does not lead to concrete employment consequences. Nevertheless, it subjects the employee to sufficient Harassment to constitute what a reasonable individual would perceive as a hostile, offensive, or intimidating workplace.
Complaining about the Harassment
So, the victim can do the following to complain about any Harassment:
Document each and everything.
The record of the Harassment is essential to cross-question the person who has been doing it and record it with the help of equipment, dates, times, and living witnesses.
Confess to someone trustworthy.
Talking with people you trust really helps in this type of case. Always remember to share incidents with people for better understanding and to discuss what steps to be taken next. The trustworthy person can be your friend, family, or someone close to the office; remember that the person should not be a side-changer.
You can look into local laws.
Specific laws are made for sexual harassment cases; try to seek help from those local laws and under state laws by contacting a lawyer.
