When sexual harassment occurs at work, it can leave victims devastated in different ways. Whether someone experiences mental trauma or is worried about retaliation, victims of sexual harassment may face different hurdles. However, if you have dealt with sexual harassment in Santa Barbara, or anywhere else in California, you should be aware that retaliation is against the law and you should not have to worry about being fired for speaking out.
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission provides a number of examples of unlawful sexual harassment. Sexual harassment includes conduct that is sexual in nature which impacts a worker’s employment, asking for sexual favors, unwanted sexual advances, and sexual harassment that creates a work environment which is hostile. Moreover, it is vital for workers to realize that harassers may be of the opposite or same gender and that the behavior must be unwanted. In fact, sexual harassment can be against the law even if an employee is not affected financially and those carrying out the harassment may be a co-worker, manager, employer, or a customer.
If you suspect that sexual harassment has occurred at your place of work, you should not be afraid to speak out. Whether you dealt with this unlawful behavior firsthand or are considering participating in a complaint over sexual harassment that your co-worker dealt with, this unacceptable behavior must be rooted out of the workplace. Please understand that the information you have gone over in this write-up does not stand in the place of experienced legal advice.