The first step any employee should take if they find themselves in such circumstances is to get in touch with HR.
It is tempting to believe that sexual harassment is no longer a serious issue that needs to be addressed in the workplace due to modern thinking, but the truth is that despite all the efforts being made to prevent such issues from occurring, sexual harassment still occurs regularly in workplaces. For many people, sexual harassment seems to have a lot of grey areas and they are not sure whether what they experienced was normal behavior or serious enough to contact the police about. Many employees are too embarrassed or confused to reach out for legal help because of the nature of the crime that took place.
According to Florida law, an act is considered sexual harassment and can have serious legal connotations if it included quid pro quo, or it led to the creation of a hostile work environment. This means that if someone in the workplace was asking for sexual favors in exchange for employment benefits or they were creating a hostile work environment if their demands were not met, their actions come under legal sexual harassment, and they can be held to account for it.
The first step any employee should take if they find themselves in such circumstances is to get in touch with HR. They should walk in with as much evidence as they can collect so HR has some solid information to begin their investigation. If they fail to respond properly, then a person should connect with a sexual harassment attorney and take their protection into their own hands. No one should have to suffer with the emotional stress of dealing with sexual harassment at work, and if anyone is going through this and their employer fails to help them, they need to take action themselves as soon as possible.
What is considered a hostile work environment in Stuart, Florida?
If a person carries out severe offensive language, shows sexual images, or objectionable physical touching regularly, this counts as a hostile work environment. Of course, not every sexual joke or act will be counted as legally prohibited, but if the acts are hostile and consistent, there may be grounds for a person to take legal action and hold the perpetrator to account.
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their workplace, and if the basic needs of security are not being met, individuals should get in touch with a sexual harassment lawyer at Stuart M. Address, P.A. as soon as possible to get help defending themselves and receiving the justice they deserve.
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