The #MeToo movement dominated the headlines of 2017. It was the largest sexual harassment event of the generation, and its effects are still lingering on in the workplace. The ‘Silence Breakers’ from the movement were collectively named the 2017 Person of the Year by TIME and for the last several years stories of harassment and abuse in all sectors of business have been pouring out. While its evident that people are taking notice of the movement, the real question is what type of impact #MeToo has really had in the workplace.
If you feel that you have been a victim of workplace sexual harassment, it’s important that you know your rights. Every worker should be protected against sexual harassment, and it is the responsibility of the employer to provide a healthy, safe work environment for everyone. There are several requirements that are placed on employers to ensure that every workplace is kept free of sexual harassment, and policies that must be in place to deal with any incidents.
Sexual harassment and all crimes of that type are found in the Human Rights Laws of New York State. Many people are unfamiliar with these laws because they do not understand how the law can protect a person’s right to a fulfilling life. Once you understand what these laws are for and how you can file an alleged violation, then you empower yourself to use the law to possibly prevent people from discriminating against you.
No one should be harassed in the workplace, but there are situations where people feel harassed whether it is sexually, racially, gender based, or physical harassment. There are legal protections in place to help employees escape harassing activities. If you are the victim of pervasive harassment it may be time to take legal action to restore your safety at your workplace.
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.
It seems as if every workplace has ‘that’ employee, the one that makes crude jokes or has a habit of saying things that catch you off-guard. In the modern-day workplace, this behavior is unacceptable. Though confronting the issue may be unpleasant, no one need any longer to be forced to tolerate this behavior. Looking the other way will do nothing more than ensure you have to continue to work in a toxic work environment. Here is what you should do instead.
Many people report feeling uncomfortable with the way someone at work interacts with them, but they often let it go because they do not know how to respond. Much like the stories of ‘grabby Uncle Ned,’ many people ignore inappropriate sexual conduct because they don’t want to cause a confrontation. However, there are laws that protect you in the workplace, at school, or in other public settings. It is not your fault or your responsibility. You should report inappropriate behavior to a superior, period!
Interpersonal relationships are difficult to manage and especially so when each side has a different idea as to what the relationship should be. In an office setting, there are a variety of personality types, all trying to co-exist and be productive. Some of those personality types are not sensitive to subjects such as gender equality and sexual harassment, and that can create situations of sexual intimidation.
Over the past few years, society has attempted to become more accepting of people and their choices. During this reform, there have been many human rights laws passed that protect people from various forms of harassment and discrimination. In the workplace, there are many forms of sexual harassment that are considered unacceptable. Your company has policies that outline what an employee experiencing harassment should do, and that includes people experiencing sexual intimidation.
When you ask about the time a victim has to file a case against an aggressor, more often than not you are talking about the statute of limitations. A victim can file a case or press charges right after an incident occurs if they so choose, but many times the victim waits. There are many reasons why a victim waits to file charges in a harassment case, but every victim needs to be aware that they can only wait so long before the case can no longer be filed in any New York court.
