Is Sexual Bribery a form of Sexual Harassment?
In recent years, companies have put more focus on the way in which their staff members interact with each other. The most effective workplace is one where mutual respect and support thrives while demeaning behavior is punished and avoided.
But there can still be moments where an incident happens that one party considers to be harmless, but the victim could be emotionally scarred for life. Sexual bribery can be one of those actions that causes distress in the workplace. It is important to be able to understand and identify sexual bribery in order to put a stop to it.
Sexual Bribery
Usually, sexual bribery happens when a person who is able to offer a reward to someone else exchanges sexual favors for that reward. For example, a supervisor might tell a subordinate that their bad annual review could suddenly become positive if sexual favors were involved. To save their job, the subordinate may agree to the arrangement. This is not usually considered consent, which means that it could be unlawful.
Is Sexual Bribery A Form Of Sexual Harassment?
Sexual bribery is identified as a form of sexual harassment by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This means that victims of sexual bribery can use their company’s sexual harassment reporting procedures to make the company aware of sexual bribery situations. As a part of the Civil Rights Act, sexual bribery is also considered unlawful in the civil courts.
What Happens If My Company Does Not Respond?
Federal law states that your company must, in some way, respond to your sexual harassment claim. If your company does not respond, or your company responds by saying that it will not investigate the incident any further, then you may have actions you can take within the civil court system. Generally, you can hire an attorney to review your case and determine if your civil rights have been violated.
We would like to point out that our attorneys have experience in helping the victims of sexual harassment to try and get closure for their episode. Our legal team can review your situation and recommend a course of action that will get your side of the story heard. If necessary, we also have the experience to take your company to court and get you the maximum available compensation for your situation. We encourage you to give us a call and let one of our sexual harassment attorneys get you started on a potential solution for your situation.