Many workers in Florida will experience workplace discrimination or harassment at some point during their lives. Many workers report that they have experienced discrimination due to gender.
Across the United States, approximately 50 percent of workers believe that they have experienced discrimination. Half of those feel that it was gender-related. According to a 2018 study conducted by Hiscox, an insurance company, 78 percent of those harassed stated that they were harassed by a male, and 73 percent said that the person was in a senior position.
Incidents of workplace harassment often go unreported. Of the respondents in the Hiscox study, 40 percent stated that they did not report the harassment to law enforcement or the company. The majority of those surveyed, 53 percent, stated fear of creating a hostile working environment was the reason that they did not report the incident.
Harassment claims can be expensive for companies to litigate. Anti-harassment training for employees and supervisors can go a long way toward preventing workplace harassment. Unfortunately, many companies do not offer this type of training. Approximately 54 percent of smaller companies with less than 200 employees reported that they do not offer this type of training.
A person who has experienced workplace harassment such as lewd comments, unwanted sexual advances or wrongful termination due to sexual harassment may benefit from speaking to an attorney experienced in employment law. An attorney may be able to assist workers who are dealing with harassment take the proper steps to report the incident. For example, in many cases, it is a good idea for the employee to contact their human resources department first.
It is important for potential claimants to speak to an attorney as soon as they can after an incident of harassment or discrimination occurs. There may be time limits for reporting that claimants must comply with to reserve the right to file a claim.
