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What Should I Do If My Supervisor Doesn’t Take My Sexual Harassment Complaint Seriously?
Being the victim of sexual harassment is already bad enough. People not believing you is even worse. Despite it being illegal, many people still face sexual harassment and discrimination at work. The harassment may come in the form of requests for sexual favors, derogatory comments about a person’s sexuality, offensive statements about someone’s body, or unwanted touching. Any form of sexual harassment is unacceptable. No one should have to tolerate being sexually harassed at work.
Employers Have a Legal Obligation to Investigate and Address Sexual Harassment
Did you know that per state and federal law, employers have to address sexual harassment? If you reported sexual harassment or discrimination to your manager and nothing was done, do not give up. Take the following steps:
- Report the harassment according to your company policy – Most companies have policies and procedures for reporting sexual harassment. Follow your company guidelines. If the person who is harassing you is the person you are supposed to report harassment to, you may have to go over that person’s head to the next supervisor.
- Keep records of everything – Write down every instance of harassment in a notebook or electronic document not connected to your work computer. Record what was said by who, who was witness to the harassing behavior, and how you responded. Make sure you also keep track of the times you have reported the harassment.
- Contact a lawyer for help – If nothing is done to remedy the situation, you may want to contact a sexual harassment lawyer. Your attorney can help you take the next steps. You can also file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and/or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
It is Illegal for Employers to Retaliate Against Someone for Reporting Sexual Harassment
If you are like many people, you may be nervous to file a sexual harassment lawsuit for fear of retaliation. Fortunately, federal and state laws protect workers against retaliation. Your employer cannot decrease your pay, fire you, give you less desirable work duties, or take another action against you out of revenge. If the employer does retaliate against you, you may have a valid unlawful retaliation lawsuit. You could be entitled to monetary damages.
Contact a DuPage County Sexual Harassment Lawyer
At MKFM Law, we help sexual harassment victims stand up for their rights. Harassment and discrimination are illegal and employers who allow harassment and discrimination should be held accountable. Call our Wheaton sexual harassment attorneys today at 630-665-7300 for a confidential consultation.
Source:
https://www2.illinois.gov/