Whether you work in New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, your employer must provide a safe working environment. However, there is still a chance that you’ll be a victim of sexual harassment while on the job. Let’s take a look at various actions that might rise to the level of sexual harassment.
Colleagues shouldn’t be making comments about your appearance
Generally speaking, there is nothing wrong with asking about a co-worker’s new haircut or where your office friend got a particular pair of designer shoes. However, it is inappropriate to make comments about a person’s physical appearance or how it compares to other people within the firm. If you hear someone making unwanted remarks about your body, you may be able to justify a sexual harassment claim. An employment law attorney may be able to help you seek to hold another individual responsible for their actions.
Were you propositioned?
If your boss repeatedly asks you out on dates, to perform sexual acts or to engage in other questionable activities, you may be a victim of sexual harassment. It’s important to note that this may be true regardless of your respective genders.
You could be an indirect victim of harassment
Let’s say that you receive an email attachment containing a picture of someone else’s naked body. Even though you weren’t being directly targeted for harassment, whoever committed those acts may still be guilty of violating workplace policies. The same may be true if you overheard a supervisor ranking employees based on how attractive they are or by other subjective measures. In the event that you’re terminated because of an unwillingness to tolerate hostile work conditions, an attorney might help you get your job back.