My Supervisor is Retaliating After I Made a Sexual Harassment Complaint. Now What?
Sexual harassment is like a disease that can permeate a company and cause nothing but problems. Proactive and progressive company owners and executives have become adamant about weeding out sexual harassment offenders in recent years and getting rid of that sort of influence. As hard as most companies are trying to get sexual harassment out of their culture, there are still going to be supervisors and members of the management teams that try to use their power for their own gain. The most powerful weapon a sexual harassment victim can have is knowledge, and that knowledge needs to include victim rights and the process for filing a complaint.
What Is Sexual Harassment?
When you take a detailed look at sexual harassment, you come to realize that it has many faces to it. Sexual harassment can occur when someone in a position of authority uses their power to force sexual favors out of subordinates. This broad definition leaves out the very real possibility that sexual harassment can happen between co-workers. The most common instances of sexual harassment occur between a supervisor and a subordinate.
What Are Some Of The Effects Of Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment can cause a workplace to feel hostile to the workers, and it can create a great deal of tension between supervisors and subordinates. A company that does not actively try to eliminate sexual harassment can get a reputation within their industry that would make it difficult to keep current employees and hire top industry talent.
For the victims, sexual harassment can erode their personal confidence, affect the quality of their work, and have a very negative impact on their productivity. Sexual harassment can cut short a promising career that could have benefited the company in the long run. Victims can also experience very real medical effects such as anxiety, PTSD, clinical depression, heart disease, and eating disorders. If the situation is not addressed properly, sexual harassment can have serious long-term physical and mental effects on a victim.
Examples Of Sexual Harassment
There are many different terms used to identify certain types of sexual harassment in civil courts. For example, trying to trick someone into believing that giving sexual favors is just the way things are done is coercion. Someone who tries to intimidate or embarrass a person because of their gender identity or the way they dress is engaging in sexual intimidation.
Many of the more common instances of sexual harassment fall under a category known as quid pro quo. This is a situation where if “you do something for me, then I will do something for you.” For example, a supervisor might tell a subordinate that the subordinate can have a raise in pay if they give sexual favors. Some would argue that when consent is given in this situation, then sexual harassment no longer applies. But the mere fact that sex is being used as a way to get a benefit in the workplace indicates sexual harassment.
Reporting Sexual Harassment
According to federal and state laws, every company must have clearly defined policies in place that allow employees to report instances of sexual harassment. When you bring your complaint to your supervisor’s attention, they must assist you in going through the process and filing a proper complaint with the company.
Your company must accept your complaint and investigate it fully. It is also mandatory that your company keep you updated on the progress and results of your case. When you file a complaint, you should include as much detail as you can remember of the event in question. It is best to file one complaint per incident. You should write down as many details as possible, and get witnesses to give statements as well. If there are recordings, those should be transcribed and included. Screen shots of text messages and emails should also be included as documentation. You should keep all of your information in a file in case you need to refer to it later.
I Filed My Complaint And Now My Hours Have Been Cut
It is illegal for your company, through any representative, to punish you for filing a sexual harassment complaint. Any actions such as a demotion, a cut in pay, or a removal from a prestigious project are all illegal. If you feel that your supervisor is retaliating against you for your complaint, then you need to alert your human resources department immediately.
Get A Lawyer
Generally, a supervisor will not punish an employee for filing a sexual harassment complaint without some kind of backing from the company. While you should never assume the company is going along with the punishment, it is something you should keep in mind.
If you get punished for filing a sexual harassment complaint, then you should retain the services of an experienced attorney immediately. Your sexual harassment attorney will step in and try to work on your behalf. If the company is simply not responding, then your attorney is equipped to pursue justice.
Our firm has experience in fighting for the victims of sexual harassment. If you have filed a sexual harassment complaint and feel that you are being punished for it, then we encourage you to contact our compassionate professionals immediately to get the legal guidance you need.