Compassionate Support For Employees In Unsafe Work Environments
Sexual harassment is against the law in New York, but it still happens every day. Workers do not have to put up with a hostile work environment, but enforcing your rights takes skilled legal representation. Located in New York City, the law firm Katz Melinger PLLC represents sexual harassment victims against harassers and the employers that failed to foster a safe work environment. Our attorneys represent employees throughout the metro area, as well as Nassau County, Norfolk County, Westchester County and northern New Jersey. We also defend employers against harassment allegations.
Hostile Work Environment Explained
Many people have questions about what comments or actions are inappropriate enough to constitute sexual harassment. There is no minimum threshold that an employer must cross for it to become a hostile work environment. The law prohibits any sexual speech, actions or displays that create a hostile work environment. The standard is intentionally broad in both New York and New Jersey because sexual harassment can take many forms. It could be one instance of inappropriate behavior or many. The harasser could be a manager, coworker or customer. In any event, your employer is responsible for taking appropriate action to foster a safe workplace.
Examples of behavior that may lead to a sexual harassment claim include, but are not limited to:
- Unwelcome sexual propositions or unwanted touching
- Inappropriate comments about your personal life, body or clothing
- Sexually charged jokes
- Displaying pornography or explicit cartoons
We Fight Back Against Employer Retaliation
Employers are required to take reports of this type of misconduct seriously. They have a duty to conduct an appropriate investigation and deal with offenders accordingly. If your employer retaliated against you instead of complying with this duty, they have broken the law and you could be entitled to significant damages. Retaliation can take many forms, and is not limited to termination. Depending on the facts, it can be retaliation if an employer punishes, reprimands, or transfers an employee in response to that employee reporting sexual harassment.
What You Can Expect From Us
If you schedule a consultation with us, one of our experienced employment lawyers will sit down with you and listen as you describe what happened. We will clearly lay out your options and inform you of what to expect. We will represent you when filing a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as well as filing a lawsuit against your employer and negotiating a possible out-of-court settlement.
Talk To A Lawyer About Your Sexual Harassment Experience
For more information about our background in representing victims of sexual harassment, call Katz Melinger PLLC at 212-460-0047 to schedule a confidential legal consultation.
