Most of our Florida readers do not know what it is like to deal with sexual harassment at the workplace. For the most part, these incidents are isolated, and the majority of workers never find themselves on either end of the problem.
However, sexual harassment is still a problem throughout the United States. There are still companies in which this is tolerated, and worse yet, there are many people who have gotten away with inappropriate behavior in the past.
According to one workplace discrimination expert, this problem has as much to do with society’s views as it does anything else. She said, “I see many cases of serious sexual harassment where the victim can’t get any relief because society hasn’t deemed it a serious problem.”
Even though people are more aware of sexual harassment today than ever before, it still remains a very real problem in workplaces throughout the country.
Furthermore, there are situations in which sexual harassment is not reported for one reason or another. This is often the case because abusers will target those who are at a disadvantage, such as an inexperienced worker or a single mother who does not want to ruffle any feathers because they need the paycheck.
There is nothing that makes sexual harassment okay, regardless of the circumstances under which it occurs. Anybody who is abusing others should stop doing so immediately. Along with this, those who have been a victim of sexual harassment at work can discuss the problem with their supervisor and/or human resources department for a better idea of which steps to take next. If that does not produce results, victims may want to consider their legal options.
Source: Fast Company, “Why Sexual Harassment Is Still An Issue And Why So Many Get Away With It” Gwen Moran, Jun. 25, 2014
