A forty year old saleswoman who worked for IBM in Australia has filed a lawsuit after settlement talks were unsatisfactory. The woman, whose name is being withheld, claims that she was repeatedly harassed by a senior manager and is seeking $1.1 million in damages. Even though IBM has a policy against sexual harassment, the victim alleges it wasn’t enacted on her level to protect her from the abuse. Her manager continuously brushed up against her, bullied her and insinuated she could increase her sales if she exposed her breasts. The suit claims the company did nothing about the abuse because the victim had high sales and felt as though it was more beneficial to keep her than pursue a harassment case.
Most corporations and businesses have policies in place to prevent sexual harassment. However the problem is still rampant in the workforce causing numerous men and women to contact sexual harassment lawyers. Approximately 15,000 cases are brought to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on an annual basis.
Generally, women are most often the targets but the EEOC reported that the number of men who report and need sexual harassment attorneys have tripled in recent years. Most cases of sexual harassment aren’t reported to superiors or the EEOC. Most victims fear reprisals and don’t speak out, but with the representation of a sexual harassment lawyer these individuals should gain more confidence and speak out about their struggles
