When is it Too Late to File a Sexual Harassment Complaint?
A victim of sexual harassment often has an emotional reaction or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the event. They are unsure what to do, and they are not certain whether or not filing a complaint will help the situation. The emotional agony that is caused by an instance of sexual harassment is understandable. Still, the victim must realize that there are deadlines they must beat if they want to file an official complaint.
Federal And State Laws
According to federal law, a victim of sexual harassment has 300 days from the instance of harassment to file an official complaint against their company. Many states have laws in effect that only allow for 180 days to file an administrative complaint. New York is amending its sexual assault statutes and in particular cases, may significantly expand the time within which to file a claim.
Multiple Acts
If you are experiencing, or have experienced, ongoing sexual harassment, then you must file complaints based on individual incidents. If, as a victim of sexual harassment, you felt overwhelmed with your first experience and did not file a complaint, you may file a complaint based on repeated acts of harassment and still meet the mandatory deadlines.
What If I Miss A Deadline?
Unfortunately, the law is clear when it comes to missing deadline for filing sexual harassment claims. If you miss the deadline, then your complaint is not going to be heard. This is why you should act as quickly as possible after your incident to put together your side of the story in writing, collect witness accounts that can be included in your filing, and support your position with e-mails, texts and/or voice recordings.
When It Seems Like Too Much
The emotional nature of sexual harassment can often leave a victim overwhelmed. The victim wants to fight back, but they are unsure how to do it and feel vulnerable after the incident. Generally, the best approach is to hire an experienced law firm to help you understand your rights and file a complaint that gets in before the deadline.
Our firm is experienced in helping sexual assault victims to understand their rights and understand the process for filing a complaint. We encourage you to speak to one of our professional sexual harassment lawyers and find out what you can do to fight back from your incident. We will help you file your complaint and, if it becomes necessary, we will fight on your behalf to get the maximum available financial compensation.