What is employer retaliation in a sexual harassment lawsuit?
Being sexually harassed in the workplace can be a very complicated matter, especially because victims often aren’t sure if they have legal grounds on which to file complaints. Furthermore, the anxiety involved with filing a complaint at all can have a chilling effect, especially if the person who was a victim is feeling nervous about retaliation. Retaliation is something that can occur on behalf of an employer if that individual becomes upset that a sexual harassment case has been filed.
Potential Types of Retaliation
There are a number of different ways in which retaliation can come into play within the workplace. For example, if a person who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit was ultimately denied a promotion that had already been guaranteed, that individual has suffered an incident of employer retaliation.
The same is true if an employee ends up getting fired after reporting an incident related to sexual harassment or going even further by filing a sexual harassment lawsuit. Employer retaliation can also relate to things such as fringe benefits, job responsibilities and pay levels. A person other than the victim, such as a witness, may also be subject to retaliation.
What You Can Do
Clearly, there are a number of factors that can be related to employer retaliation. However, it should bring peace of mind to know that there are laws within the United States that prevent employers from being able to retaliate against employees because of alleged sexual harassment.
If you have been a victim of such a problem at work or were involved in reporting it and want to know what your options are, it is in your best interests to contact a law firm that concentrates on sexual harassment cases. After getting a consultation, you’ll feel more informed about whether you have a strong case and how to proceed.
Your Right to Work Without Fear
Being sexually harassed can cause a number of physical, emotional and mental responses that ultimately greatly impact your ability to perform at your best while at work. In addition to wondering whether the perpetrator will try again, you shouldn’t also have to be concerned about whether your employer will do something that compromises your income just because you’ve spoken out about something that happened to you. Get in touch with a competent law firm today and stand up for yourself by not ignoring sexual harassment incidents that occur in your place of work.