State and federal laws, such as New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination, New York City Human Rights Law, New York State Human Rights Law, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protect employees from harassing conduct in the workplace.
Employees have a right to work in an environment that is free from unwelcome sexual advances, sexual comments, and other sexually offensive conduct. Employers and harassers may be held liable for two types of sexual harassment: (i) hostile work environment, and (ii) quid pro quo sexual harassment.
A hostile work environment may exist when a co-worker or employer harasses an employee such that the environment becomes sexually intimidating, offensive or pervasive with harassment. Additionally, employers or co-workers cannot require sexual demands to be a condition of employment and cannot retaliate against an employee for declining an advance (quid pro quo sexual harassment). Further, an employer cannot retaliate against an employee by taking any adverse employment action for reporting sexual harassment and seeking help for the harassment to stop.
Our New York and New Jersey sexual harassment lawyers focus on remedying sexual harassment cases. If you believe you have been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, call us at (973) 509-8500 to schedule a free phone consultation.