Are Victims of Sexual Harassment Punished or even Fired for Complaining?
There was a time in the United States where fear of retribution for reporting sexual harassment in the workplace was a gamble for the victim. If there was no compassion in the management team for the victim’s complaint, then the victim could be punished or even fired for complaining. But ever since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, things have changed.
The Change Was Not Immediate
The mid 1960s were a turbulent time in the United States where crimes of sexual assault and harassment ran rampant in the corporate world and very little was done to help the victims. After years of standing up for themselves and finally getting more specific laws at the federal and state levels, sexual harassment victims are now able to report crimes in an environment that is more interested in stopping these crimes than prolonging them.
Complaints Filed In The Modern Era
There are two parts to this question about sexual harassment victims being punished or fired for complaining. There is the legal foundation for civil protections, and then there is reality. In the civil laws since 1964, it has been established that sexual harassment victims can submit legitimate complaints without fear of any kind of retribution from the company or individuals within the company. If someone is sexually harassed, the law encourages them to complain without fear.
The Reality
The reality is that some companies still do punish or fire victims of sexual harassment who file complaints. The difference in these modern times is that victims who experience that kind of retribution can file civil lawsuits against their employers and those cases are taken very seriously in court. If the victim can prove that they were fired or punished because of their sexual harassment complaint, then the company could wind up paying a very large award for its actions.
Evidence Is Crucial
A sexual harassment victim who believes that their complaint that was filed with human resources has triggered retribution needs to write down and document all of the incidents of harassment. Every meeting with a manager, company memo, email, and anything else that can prove that retribution is taking place needs to be gathered up and used to defend the victim’s position.
Our law firm has been instrumental in helping many sexual harassment victims to get the compensation they deserve for retribution associated with filing a complaint. Contact one of our compassionate and caring sexual harassment lawyers for a consultation to see how we can help you to defend your civil rights.