Sexual harassment in the workplace can make each day of going to work intimidating. Workers may feel fearful which is why they should understand who can be the victim of sexual harassment and the legal protections available to them if they are suffering sexual harassment in their workplace.
Who can be the victim of sexual harassment?
Workers do not have to tolerate sexual harassment in the workplace. Victims of sexual harassment in the workplace can include:
- Victims of sexual harassment in the workplace can be a man or a woman. In addition, the harasser does not have to be of the opposite sex.
- The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
- The harasser can be the supervisor of the victim; a supervisor in another area; an agent of the employer; a co-worker or a non-employee.
- The victim does not necessarily have to be the individual who is being harassed but can be anyone impacted by the offensive sexually harassing conduct.
- The unlawful sexual harassment may still be prohibited even if it occurs without economic injury to the victim or discharge of the victim.
- The harassers’ conduct must be unwelcome to qualify as sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual behaviors and other harassing conduct. It is considered conduct that unreasonably interferes with the victim’s ability to do their job or creates an offensive, intimidating or hostile work environment. Employment law protects victims of sexual harassment in the workplace who should be aware of what it includes and that they do not have to tolerate it.