Sexual harassment cases are on the rise in every nation. No matter how big the company is, employees are always at risk of being sexually harassed at the workplace. To reduce these cases, laws and regulations have been laid in every country and organization. It is suggested to contact an Austin sexual harassment lawyer if you have faced such incidents in your office. You must bring it to the notice of your boss immediately and speak for your rights. Many cases remain unreported because people don’t stand up and raise their voices.
What can be considered as sexual harassment?
Many a time, the employee can get confused about what can be taken as sexual harassment. The abuser may take advantage of this situation. Some of the examples of these cases are:
Offensive jokes
Cracking jokes among colleagues can be a health gesture. It brings them all together and gives them a chance to develop friendships. If you feel awkward about offensive jokes and remarks, you should stop the person immediately. If he or she still makes such jokes and makes you uncomfortable, you should take immediate action and report the incident.
Sexual assault
Some of the actions clearly tell you that you are being harassed sexually such as rape, inappropriate touching and attempt to rape. All of these actions need your attention and you should take appropriate action such as reporting to the employer or hiring a sexual harassment lawyer. If you don’t do anything about it, the abuser will make it more difficult for you and even try with others as well. That’s why, you must report it without fail.
Sexually explicit actions
If a person sends you texts or emails containing obscene content such as images or GIFs, you can report it to higher management or even file a lawsuit against the person. He can be your boss, manager, company owner and even any colleague. If you don’t do anything to stop it, he will take it as a positive response from your side.
Asking for sexual favors
If your manager or team leader is asking for sexual favors such as a date or coffee outside the office, you can take action and file a lawsuit. Many a time, female employees are asked to sleep with their bosses to get perks and promotions, which is considered sexual harassment.
These incidents should be brought to the notice of the management immediately.