Feel empowered, not powerless, if you’re sexually harassed
Posted in Sexual Harassment on September 13, 2016
Suffering sexual harassment at the workplace is a flat-out wrong that is at once demoralizing, demeaning and, for many people, truly frightening.
And then there’s this: On-the-job sexual harassment is also endemic, both in California and nationally, being a pernicious evil and scourge that materially taints a work environment and all those who toil within it while seeking to be treated impartially and with respect.
It is often understandable why a victim might feel powerless — even hopeless — in the face of sexually harassing conduct. Unlawful workplace behaviors are often engaged in by supervisors and managers. Co-employees might not believe a harassed worker’s story. Inappropriate acts, such as stalking and verbal and physical abuse, might also be accompanied by various threats, which can understandably chill a victim and militate against a report.
That should never be the case, and it doesn’t have to be. Victims feeling the gamut of unpleasant emotions that naturally surge in connection with third-party sexual harassment should also feel this: empowerment fueled through the knowledge that there are tough state and federal laws against sexual harassment that a proven attorney can invoke to stop unwanted behaviors.
And not only that. As we note on our website at the pro-employee law firm of Winer, McKenna & Burritt, where we help harassment victims from multiple offices spanning California, state law “also allows employees to sue for damages and emotional distress.”
The universe of sexually harassing workplace conduct is truly wide, but every aspect of it can purposefully addressed and fought against by experienced lawyers who routinely advocate with knowledge and client empathy on behalf of individuals who simply want to be treated fairly while performing on the job.
If you’re suffering from sexual harassment at work, don’t be passive in the face of it. Take legal action to stop it and to deter similar behavior in the future.