SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWYER IN KANSAS CITY

Sexual harassment in the workplace occurs in all occupations and at all levels. Its victims include both men and women, and the harasser can be the same sex as the victim. The impact of sexual harassment is devastating to victims and to workplace culture and morale.

Victims of sexual harassment do not have to stay silent. Connecting with a harassment lawyer can help you fight back against sexual harassment and stand up for your right to a safe workplace. Whoever targeted you should be held accountable for their actions, and filing a sexual harassment claim with help from an employment harassment lawyer is the way to obtain justice.

Is it worth it to take a risk speaking out against harassment? Your bravery can do the following:

1. Stop a predator from harming or harassing someone else
2. Prevent yourself from further victimization physically, mentally, and emotionally
3. Lead to changes in laws that protect workers from being harassed at other companies as well as your own
4. Change culture to make it unacceptable to engage in sexual harassment behavior
5. Stop harassment at work for good

At Swartz Law, we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in the workplace, which is why we fight tirelessly for victims of sexual harassment. Harassment attorney, Tara Swartz, has years of experience representing victims of sexual harassment, and as a result, understands the sensitive nature of these claims.  She is skilled at resolving them swiftly and confidentially.

What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment can take many forms, including unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and repeated demeaning or illicit sexual jokes or comments. Sexual harassment is unlawful whether it is perpetrated by your supervisor, a co-worker, or a customer. There are two types of sexual harassment claims under the law – quid pro quo (Latin for ‘this for that’) and hostile work environment.

A few examples of sexual harassment are listed below:

• A supervisor repeatedly harasses a subordinate through inappropriate touching without consent. The supervisor may even attempt to bribe the worker into engaging in sexual conduct using work incentives and/or threatening retaliation should the worker refuse the sexual contact.
• Each day a worker goes to work and endures an office environment that is offensive. The person’s coworkers make inappropriate sexual references, discuss sexual jokes, make lewd hand gestures in front of the worker, and use lewd sexually explicit language.
• A front office worker receives repeated sexual advances from a client or workplace visitor. Despite the worker declining the advances and asking for them to stop, the worker is continuously subjected to requests for sexual contact.

The above are only a few examples of sexual harassment in the workplace, and it should be noted that there are many different forms of sexual harassment. Speak with a sexual harassment attorney about your sexual harassment case to learn more about what actions you can take to stop the behavior and get justice for what you’ve endured.

Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment

Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when submission to sexual advances or favors is required to obtain job benefits such as a pay raise or promotion, or rejection of such conduct results in adverse job actions such as a reduction in pay, a demotion, or termination. This type of harassment is commonly perpetrated by a supervisor, manager, or other agent of an employer with the authority to make employment decisions that impact your job. It is a gross abuse of power, and employers are held strictly liable for such conduct under the law.

Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment

Hostile work environment sexual harassment claims arise when derogatory, stereotypical, or humiliating comments and ‘jokes’ occur repeatedly in the workplace such that it creates a hostile, offensive, or intimidating work environment. Whether the harassment you are enduring rises to the level that the law recognizes as constituting a legal claim depends on its severity, recurrence, and pervasiveness. One incident, such as a comment by a coworker that ‘you are a tease’ or a coworker showing a sexually explicit photo to others at work will not likely create a claim. An extreme act, however, such as a sexual assault may be sufficient standing alone. How many incidents you must endure, for how long, and how drastic of an impact those incidents must have on your work environment is case-specific and requires evaluation by an expert.

Due to the sensitive nature of sexual harassment and fear of retribution, victims often remain silent in their jobs for far too long. If you are experiencing sexually demeaning comments or conduct of any kind, you should seek assistance from a workplace harassment lawyer immediately.