Sexual Harassment

Bachman Law has published a free e-book on sexual harassment that provides employees with plain English answers to common questions about how to prove sexual harassment at work.

Talk with a sexual harassment lawyer to maximize your potential damages. If you have experienced sexual harassment, call us at (202) 769-1681, or start your preliminary consultation online.

How do I prove sexual harassment/hostile work environment?

Far too many employees experience unwanted and illegal sexual harassment at work. Various federal and state anti-discrimination laws prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. These laws include Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and many states and local municipalities have laws that make sexual harassment illegal as well. It is important to consult with an experienced sexual harassment lawyer to understand your legal options.

Examples of sexual harassment include:

• Unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors
• Offensive verbal comments of a sexual nature or about women in general
• Physical touching

While anti-discrimination statutes do not outlaw (non-sexual) teasing or isolated/minor incidents, an illegal hostile work environment occurs when the harassing conduct is severe or pervasive and/or if it results in an adverse employment action (for example, being suspended, fired, or loss of pay).

To determine whether harassment violates Title VII and related laws, courts look to the following factors:

• frequency of the conduct;
• its severity;
• whether it is physically threatening or humiliating; and
• whether it unreasonably interferes with the employee’s work

Does it matter who is sexually harassing me?

Yes, it is also significant whether the sexual harasser is the employee’s supervisor or, instead, a co-worker or subordinate. In certain cases, the sexual harasser may not even be an employee of the company but rather is a client or a customer.

What remedies are available for sexual harassment?

• Back pay damages for wages lost due to the harassment
• Emotional distress damages (also referred to as compensatory damages)
• Punitive damages designed to punish the employer for especially reckless or malicious harassment
• Reasonable attorney’s fees

Related articles and interviews by Bachman Law

Bachman Law routinely represents employees in sexual harassment cases. Likewise, Bachman Law founder Eric Bachman is frequently interviewed about and has articles published related to sexual harassment and employment discrimination issues. For example:

• Law360 interviews employment discrimination lawyer Eric Bachman about massive $460M verdict
• Bloomberg Law interviews  Eric Bachman about the Activision sexual harassment case
• Barron’s interviews sexual harassment lawyer Eric Bachman about sexual harassment in the finance industry
• EEOC sues NY diner for alleged rampant sexual harassment
• Sexual harassment lawyer Eric Bachman interviewed about Harvey Weinstein trial and #metoo movement
• $700,000 settlement involving graphic sexual harassment claims
• Bachman Law founder Eric Bachman interviewed about #met00 in the financial services industry
• $13 million awarded in sexual harassment jury trial

Frequently Asked Questions

What is workplace sexual harassment?

Who is a “supervisor” in a sexual harassment case?

What is a hostile work environment?

How do I prove a hostile work environment?

Does it matter if it is a supervisor versus a coworker who is harassing me?

What damages can I get in a sexual harassment case?

What defenses apply in a sexual harassment case?

What is the deadline to file a complaint in a sexual harassment case?

For more information, see Bachman Law’s FAQs page.