It can be difficult for employees to come forward when they have a complaint against a supervisor or a manager, primarily because they may fear losing their job. Reporting sexual harassment can also be embarrassing, especially if a man is reporting one of his female supervisors. If you want to file a sexual harassment complaint, you should seek advice from labor law attorneys in Northampton, MA to obtain a proper understanding of your rights under the law.
Type of Sexual Harassment
There are two types of sexual harassment complaints you can file against a superior at your job: hostile work environment or quid pro quo.
Hostile Work Environment
A hostile work environment complaint stems from making an employee feel uncomfortable, in a way that is usually sexual in nature. This may include physical touching, sexual comments, receiving sexually explicit materials, continued requests for dates even after rejection, sexual gestures, and questions or comments about romantic partners. These actions are strictly forbidden, especially in a workplace.
Quid Pro Quo
This occurs when an employee is forced into sexual acts to protect their job or to receive a promotion.
Reporting Harassment
It is important to report sexual harassment at the workplace. Doing so can help get the undesirable behavior to stop, but you must be careful if you are being harassed. Do not engage in any sexual banter, jokes, or reciprocating behavior. As labor law attorneys at Connor Morneau & Olin LLP would advise you, the behavior has to be demonstrated unwelcome for a complaint to have merit.
If you’ve reported sexual harassment and feel as if your employer is not taking it seriously, you should retain one of the local labor law attorneys to help you file a lawsuit. You have 300 days of the last reported incident to take legal action, but first it must be filed with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. If a suit is successful, you could receive compensation from your employer. View website for labor law attorneys in Northampton, MA.
