Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Posted: Thursday, January 08, 2009
by Lisa Shepard
Does sexual harassment still exist in the workplace? Yes, it does. Even with the big push of educating workers, assistants, and managerial staff, this still exists. Why?
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights act was put in place by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC to discourage this type of behavior. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination which is in violation of the 1964 Civil Rights act.
What I have found: the attorney's need money upfront to even pursue the case. In many cases, the person who received the unwanted attention doesn't have the resources to even initiate a lawsuit. Another issue: obtaining the "proof". Unless you are meticulous and write everything down, take photos, or record conversations (and you have to let the other party know you are recording them-otherwise it cannot be used against your harasser). Who does this? Third issue: Did you advise your management of the situation? What if the management is the problem? Who do you tell? Fourth Issue: What about being able to acquire a new job? If you leave, what will the current or past employer say on your behalf? There are many more problems or brick walls that seem to pop up. This is where many victims just seem to hang up their guns and move on.
The one employer I worked for was a friend. He has/had a very small business, meaning, I was the only real employee. I wouldn't call him a friend anymore. He took advantage of a situation where my defenses were down. I was already going through a divorce and just couldn't bring myself to go through any more court dealings. Where did it get me? Nowhere. I didn't realize there was a time limit of when I could start an action against my previous employer. If you are considering action against an employer for sexual harassment, check the time restraints. This will give you an idea of how long you have to pursue a lawsuit.
The first thing you must do if you believe this happened to you is contact the EEOC. They review your complaint and if pliable, they then forward to you a "right to sue" letter to be given to an attorney.
If you are a victim like I was, the best thing you can do to start is: research the subject. Gather your evidence. Contact the EEOC. Pursue with a knowledgeable attorney who specializes in sexual harassment. Sometimes, you may be able to negotiate the down payment price. If you have substantial evidence, the attorney may just waive the deposit because your case may be a sure-win for him/her. It's not going to be easy to find an attorney unless you already have the financial stability. Most victims are not financially stable to pursue. Do you think the harasser thought this through before they victimized you? jThe worst thing you can do: ignore the situation.
For those that are still employed with their "harasser", you now have some information that could be useful to gather your evidence. I feel for you as you are still in a very bad situation. Try not to quit without gathering some evidence. The "proof is in the pudding". You are not alone.
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Top-level comments on this article: (6 total)Wonderful article, Lisa and I hope it helps someone today. For all my working life I suffered through different types of workplace harrassment--from sexual to just plain hostile environment--and from both sexes. I regret now that I just tried to avoid the guilty party and kept my mouth shut for fear of losing my job or being harrassed even more. I wish only that I knew then what I know now. So much suffering could have been avoided. Thanks for letting everyone (men and women) know that it doesn't have to be tolerated.Sandra
hi lisa,this was a well written, interesting article,although disturbing that in 2009, this stillgoes on.some people just don't get it. it'sunfortunate, and painful for the victim.thanks for sharing the info, and i hopeyou cointinue writing,welcome to searchwarp,best regards,sue thom
I remember walking down a very steep flight of about 30 steps outside a courtroom when the lady next to me slipped slightly and I reached out and touched her arm to assist. Yes you got it, it could be considered sexual harrasement because she pulled away. No thank you, just a look. Hey next time let her fall. Yes and by the way, I would be interested if offered. Now I am not against the protection however, I also understand sometimes it gets carried too far. Good job.Robert, this lady you referred to may have had some bad experience in a sexual harrassment situation and as I mentioned to Kathy, it's never truly forgotton. The memories are snapped back in our heads with as little as an "extension of help" which is taken differently than what the helper intended. Not everyone has been affected by this trauma, but the ones that have (including myself) I'm usually weary of men, especially in a situation that involves a "something for nothing" extension. I wouldn't tell you NOT extend the same offer if that lady or another lady happened to trip and appear to be falling on the court steps. There are still good people (men and women) out there, we (victims) look at the situation a little bit differently. Thanks for your input.
It makes me sick to my stomach actually, I have been there.I had evidence, written things down, witnesses the works. Not one lawyer would touch the case. I called lots, even lawyers that were not even in this city.I was a member of an Union, of a LARGE multi Million Dollar Company. The Union's Lawyer even told me to forget it. I was called into management office, the big guys !!! Tried to fire me, I hauled out my book of paper work I saved with offenders, witnesses, dates times.....they said close it, you have your job back you forget what happened. I worked in a work enviroment with 99% men.Watch the Movie named " North Country " starring Charlize Theron .I wanted to buy one ( the movie) and personally hand it to the BIG BOSS on the property, but that wouldn't do anything.My stomach is turning writing this and it's making my hands kind of shaky, and YES sexual harrassement is out there, and it's not fair that the person that is getting harrassed ends up on the S--T end of things for some reason. I put up with it for almost 15 years, and the more things went on the sicker I got. I reported it three different times for three different situations. Nothing done, and I was just more embarassed each time, due to having a male supervisor. So I just didn't report anything anymore. Some of the women there were harrassed but they were office ladies and in a 50/50 women/men enviroment. Not me, I can't even get into this with out getting upset, just thinking back makes me sick. You have to get that movie, rent it or something.I have been of work due to stress over the situation.......ahhhhhhhhhh I have to keep quiet.If anyone from where I worked finds this comment I wrote, I just want to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL YOUR HELP, especially to the women in management dept....and that is being said in a scarastic way...THANK YOU TO THE MEN THAT THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING FUNNY or JUST PLAIN SICK, and by the way I never threw out that book with all my information in it. It's securely tucked away, and if any of your wives found out what your like behind her back, I don't think they would be impressed at all. YEAH I have names, times, witnesses...and it's all recorded, even incidents outside of work. Yeah they are still considered sexual harrassment.I should write a book actually.Don't put up with it, stand up for yourself cause no matter what it will make you feel better inside yourself, I didn't. Because I was scared.....
PS...Not all of my co-workers were bad. There were some good people in there as well.
PSS...God I keep thinking I should'nt have posted these comments, but there was something I also forgot to add. When I went to work, I worked. I did not once ever make a suggestion to anyone at the company that I was asking for that. I never flirted, I never talked about sex in my conversations, it was directed to me in their conversations, I never did anything there that would even suggest that I deserved any of that except being a female in a male work enviroment. It makes me sad to think that stories that were inside the place, went out into the town, and they hurt. If they were true I could handle it better, but all I do is walk with my head up and try to ignore. I have an article written called " becareful little tongue what you say" I think I had mentioned some of this in there, but I may have deleted it out, I can't remember, anyway I don't think that there will be any PSSS'sJUST REMEMBER please stand up for yourself no matter how gut wrenching....you can even email me if you need to to talk.Thank you for writing this by the way, It sure hits home and I am sure it hits home for a lot of women and men.Kathy, we are not the only ones. There's too many women (and men also) that just stay quiet. Even if they have evidence. You may have had more evidence they I may have. It doesn't matter if the company is small or large from my story or yours. The thing is, sexual harassment doesn't just touch the victim, but it also touches who the victim touches (relationships, family, etc.). I know you know what I am talking about. The incident in my story wasn't the first time. The first time for me was when I was 18-19, very niave country girl. IN a place where I had no family or friends and I was singled out because of this. Just like you, I like to forget about it, but events or stories bring back the unwanted memories. I'd be happy to email you and the same to you, you can email me as well. I have to admit, I believe women are stronger than men, maybe not physically, but mentally. We put up with more "things in our life". Strength as in muscles weakens as we get older, strength as in mentally, stays stronger (unless dementia or alzheimers is in the family genes). This is a place to vent as well as write a good story. Keep writing as many have told me! I have so many more stories/articles that I have. Sometimes I just have trouble putting the pieces in the right order. But when I do, I submit to Searchwarp. Thank you again.Hi again, thanks for responding to my article, I got a little worried at first thinking I shouldn't have wrote my comment and that it may have ruined your artice for putting my comment in here.Also the same here, when I was 19 I worked in a male enviroment and something happened also. Actually I will tell you here, (I always had jobs as labourer, equipment operator etc, I was never one to be a secretary or do office work, I needed to move....anyway)I was working outside, loading trucks. I had about 6 men working with me. One was about 17, the smartass. When he came up behing me he pulled my gym pants down right infront of everyone. I near lost it. This was the second time. The first time he did it infront on only one old man, and I warned him never to do that again or else. But he did it again, thinking he was being funny. I did report it the second time, and the boss found him hiding in the lunch room down behind a couch. Mind you he was let go. But ... that never really eased my feelings or made me feel any better.But your right, it never goes away from your memory, and it makes me loose my trust in people, especially men. I just couldn't imagine doing something to someone.Harrassement in the workplace can be more than sexual as well, well you know that already. A man that I worked with, a nice person that let things bother him alot. The other men picked on him so bad, thinking it was funny, I didn't, but they did. This man went home with bad nerves for a long time. I felt so bad for him. People can be really mean sometimes. I find if people know something is bothering you they will pick and pick until something bad happens. I hope that the people that do, do the picking feel bad about hurting someone else, but most of them probably don't because they don't know any better.I will email you someday soon and have a talk...until then take care and try to forgive I guess is the best advice I can give, I prayed about it before and said, I forgive. It made me feel better for sure, but I don't forget. Guess that is how we learn not to get into a situation again, or know how to stand up for ourselves the next time. And I learned that !!
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