The laws forbidding sexual harassment in the workplace has been in place for decades, but until the Clarence Thomas Hearings it was a highly publicized problem. After Anita Hill came forward with her allegations it was easier for more people to speak out about the pervasiveness of sexual harassment.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 classifies sexual harassment as a form of discrimination.
The Act defines sexual harassment as any “unwanted visual, verbal or physical conduct that is severe, pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment.” And this law was put into place to assure workers that they don’t have to accept the sexual misconduct of others.
This also set up legal channels for employees to follow, which include notifying the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or a
sexual harassment lawyer.
The law was put in place to protect both men and women from sexual misconduct but in the decades since the problem is still prevalent and many turn to
sexual harassment lawyers to put an end to their abuse. According to some statistics, 31 percent of women and 7 percent of men have stated that they have been harassed on the job. And 62 percent of these individuals do not report the incidents.
The people, who are harassed in the workplace, are first encouraged to follow the right channels within the workplace when the problem arises. They can verbally confront their harasser and ask them to halt the behavior. If that fails a victim should tell their supervisors.
However, there are numerous cases where the employer doesn’t take the proper steps and the victim then finds that it is necessary to retain an accomplished
sexual harassment lawyer.
