Nobody should have to experience sexual harassment at work or elsewhere. You should know that you have rights, and you can seek out sexual harassment attorneys near me for assistance filing a claim. Under federal law, sexual harassment is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under state law, sexual harassment is prohibited under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Both can be applied to employment situations in the Chicago area.
What is sexual harassment in an Illinois workplace? As the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) explains, sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination, and it is illegal to harass an applicant or an employee because of their sex.
The EEOC further explains that sexual harassment may include “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.” Yet it is essential to understand that sexual harassment does not have to be sexual to be unlawful. Both state and federal laws prohibit sexual harassment that involves making offensive comments about a person’s sex, for example. In other words, sexual harassment can involve a wide range of behaviors or actions. As such, if you believe you may have been the target of sexual harassment in the workplace, or if you suspect you may be able to file a claim, you should seek advice from one of the sexual harassment attorneys near you at the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline.
Sexual harassment in workplaces near you in and around Chicago generally can take two different forms:
Quid pro quo sexual harassment claims typically involve an employer or an agent of the employer, such as a supervisor or a manager, and they are usually filed by the employee who is the subject of the discrimination. With sexual harassment claims that involve a hostile work environment, any person in the workplace who has been impacted by the hostile work environment — even if they were not the target of the sex discrimination — may be able to file a claim. Further, in hostile work environment cases, the perpetrator can be any party, from a supervisor or employer to a co-worker to a customer or clients who come into the workplace.
Sexual harassment can destroy an employee’s livelihood, and it can create a hostile and damaging work environment in which employee morale declines significantly. If you have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, you should seek advice from a sexual harassment lawyer in Chicago. Contact the Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline today to learn more about how we can help you.
