Sexual harassment is far more insidious than you may initially think. Harassment is difficult because it is hard to define, which makes it easy for some people to overstep boundaries. Much of it depends upon the nature of the relationship between among employees. What may be inappropriate to one person is not to another, which is why standard policies are difficult to enforce. But this does not mean that sexual harassment does not occur or isn’t a big problem. This post will go over a recent study that explored the nature of the problem.
A study conducted by Cosmopolitan found that one in three full and part-time female employees experienced sexual assault. The study surveyed 2,235 female participants. Most people associate sexual harassment with a “Mad Men” style that is overly aggressive. But sexual harassment is far more prolific. It can be an inappropriate comment, email or even Facebook message. In fact, as discussed above, a lot of it has to do with the relationship between the two individuals. Some women may have been sexually harassed by another definition but not by their own.
The survey also asked the participants if they reported the incident. Unfortunately, only 29 percent stated that they reported the incident while the remaining 71 percent did not. In short, this is an ongoing problem for both full and part-time employees.
If you were the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace then you may want to speak to an attorney. You have the right to a safe workplace, free from discrimination and harassment. In a perfect world, no one would need these laws however sometimes it means that only you can make sure your rights are respected. Speak to an attorney and go over the situation to figure out what your legal options may be.
