Defining New York Sexual Harassment
Let’s talk about sex. Sexual harassment that is. When it comes to working in New York, there are a lot of questionable situations that may fall under the definition of sexual harassment. Generally speaking, any unwelcome physical or verbal conduct directed at an employee because of his or her sex can constitute sexual harassment.
The definition seems simple enough but there are a lot of caveats and misconceptions about sexual harassment that I want highlight in my blog today. Picking the above definition apart, a New York sexual harassment case does not have to be physical but it can also be words (this would include emails, text messages, etc) and it does not just apply to women but men too.
Here are some other misconceptions about sexual harassment that I want to point out:
• Same Sex Sexual Harassment: Although the majority of sexual harassment cases are between a man and a woman, that does not make it any less illegal for a man to harass another man or vice versa.
• Let’s Hear It For The Boys: Piggybacking on the above point, men can be the victims of harassment in the workplace.
• Title Doesn’t Matter: Sure, there are a lot of public instances in which a male boss is acting in an inappropriate and illegal manner towards a female employee. But the title of an employee does not matter when it comes to sexual harassment. It is not just the boss that can be on the giving end, there are many instances in which an employer is the victim.
Hopefully you now have a more informed definition of sexual harassment. If you feel like you are being sexually harassed at work, give us a call.
