Some illegal actions in the workplace may cross over into criminal activity. This includes sexual assault, rape, stalking, battery, and other crimes that may be physical or sexual in nature.
Crater Village, HI – Workplaces in Hawaii and other states can be difficult environments due to certain kinds of social interactions and hostilities between workers. This kind of behavior becomes sexual harassment if the victim experiences severe or pervasive acts due to their gender or sex. However, there is a distinction between workplace problems and disagreements and sexual harassment. This is because harassment is a form of gender based discrimination that actually affect’s the victim’s ability to work on some level.
There are two main types of sexual harassment incidents that can result in a lawsuit and financial recovery. These are referred to as quid pro quo harassment and hostile work environments. If there are more extreme forms of harassment that involve criminal elements, the victim should notify the police and their employer immediately.
Quid pro quo harassment
This is a type of harassment that essentially involves some kind of threat or coercion. A classic example of quid pro quo harassment is when a boss, manager, or superior of an employee asks for sexual favors or makes other kinds of inappropriate advances. The person responsible for these advances will often condition the person’s continued employment, pay, or other benefits on them being receptive to such inappropriate conduct. In extreme cases, the superior may ask directly for sexual acts as a condition of the victim keeping their job. Because this kind of harassment is taken very seriously, even one incident may be sufficient to bring a lawsuit.
Hostile work environments
Hostile work environment claims can be more detailed and complex because the victim needs to show that their ability to work and function in their role was affected. This means that one coworker making an inappropriate comment or engaging in some kind of mistreatment of the victim may not be enough. However, if the workplace tolerates excessive mistreatment of a worker due to their gender or sex, it is likely that any reasonable person in the same situation would either leave their position or have difficult working within such an environment.
Criminal harassment
Some illegal actions in the workplace may cross over into criminal activity. This includes sexual assault, rape, stalking, battery, and other crimes that may be physical or sexual in nature. Any kind of unwanted physical touching should be reported immediately. It may be possible for the victim to file both criminal charges and a civil lawsuit in these situations.
Sexual harassment lawyers are available
Anyone who needs to find a lawyer to speak with about their concerns related to sexual harassment in Crater Village and other cities in Hawaii can use the directory on USAttorneys.com. The site contains listings of attorneys by location and practice area.
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