Understanding the Different Types of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment is unfortunately common in today’s society, especially in the workplace. Many people do not realize this, but sexual harassment comes in numerous shapes and sizes and is often disguised, making it difficult for victims to decide whether or not they have a lawsuit on their hands. Sexual harassment in the workplace reaches far and beyond the old “sleep with me for a promotion”-type behavior. Anything from tasteless jokes to supposedly funny memes and emails to inappropriate touching or leering can be considered sexual harassment. While in some cases, sexual harassment is blatant and outlandish, in other instances, it is far more subtle.

Professionals – especially women – have been dealing with sexual harassment for as long as we can remember, but it is only in the last three decades or so that women have started to win these types of cases, which signifies an important shift in our society. Sexual harassment or misconduct is a big deal and is not something that should be taken lightly. As anyone who has been the victim of this type of behavior can attest to, it is simply unlawful and unacceptable. These types of cases are not always easy to prove, especially if the perpetrator holds a lot of power within the company. With this in mind, it is important to understand the various types of sexual harassment in the workplace and what your rights are. Sexual misconduct or inappropriate behavior in the workplace can affect your overall work performance, as well as your emotional and mental state, which is a major problem.

Common Types of Sexual Harassment

Here is a look at the most common types of sexual misconduct in the workplace:

• Sexual bribery – This occurs when someone is offered benefit (such as a promotion or pay raise) in exchange for a sexual favor
• Sexual joking – This happens when a person’s co-workers or boss repeatedly uses inappropriate humor, such as joking comments, emails, text messages, or social media posts
• Requests for sex – Also known as unwelcome sexual advances from co-workers
• Unwanted physical contact – When a co-worker engages in unlawful physical touching, there may be grounds for legal action
• Sexist remarks and sexism – This is a big one and extremely common in the workplace. When a co-worker makes demeaning comments about another co-worker (specifically a female) it could be considered sexism
• Sexual gift giving – When an individual is gifted presents of items from a colleague that are inappropriate and unwanted
• Sexual orientation harassment – This occurs when someone discriminates against a co-worker or employee based on their sexual orientation or preferences
• Sexual coercion – When someone is threatened, sweet-talked, or otherwise unreasonably pressured into performing a sexual act

It is important to note that there are generally two main types of unlawful sexual harassment – pressure for sexual favors (also called quid pro quo harassment) and a hostile work environment, which is when the harassment or inappropriate behavior is ongoing and involves a pattern of offensive conduct. If you have been the victim of any of the above types of sexual misconduct or would like to learn more about your rights when it comes to harassment in the workplace, please contact Rad Law Firm today. Our Dallas sexual harassment lawyers are here for you and will do everything we can to ensure justice is served and you receive the compensation you deserve.