Dealing with sexual harassment after the #MeToo movement

On behalf of elizabethtatelaw Attorney at Law posted in Sexual Harassment on Wednesday , May 9, 2018

Arizona employees may be aware about the #MeToo movement and how it has brought increased attention to problems regarding sexual harassment in the workplace. In fact, few companies remained unscathed as the movement gained momentum. For example, even Nike employees reported being sexually harassed with no resolution from managers, supervisors or human resources.

Sexual harassment in the workplace can put employees in difficult situations. On the one hand, inappropriate comments anunwanted touching from a supervisor or manager can have a major impact on an employee’s mental health and ability to do his or her job. On the other hand, the supervisors and managers have the power to promote, demote or even terminate an employee. If a sexual harassment case does make it to court, it can be difficult to determine if a manager or supervisor actually violated the law, even though the impact on the employee is very real.

The #MeToo movement reinforced the idea that all forms of harassment, no matter how minor, should be strongly punished. However, a Pew Research study found that 50 percent of the respondents thought that it made it harder for men to know what was and was not acceptable when it came to interacting with women in the workplace.

Many employees who experience sexual harassment in the workplace may fear that they could lose their jobs if they report instances of unwanted touching or inappropriate attention. If an employee experiences wrongful termination due to sexual harassment, an attorney could be of assistance. The attorney may gather all evidence that demonstrates that the employee properly reported instances of sexual harassment and was then punished as a result.