Some Washington, D.C., area workers may find their places of employment difficult to navigate. Perhaps communication is not as open and clear as it should be, or maybe there is a lack of leadership that can make day-to-day activities more difficult to complete. In other cases, individuals may feel as if they cannot go into the workplace without the risk of facing sexual harassment, or their promotions or job hinging on whether they accept unwelcome sexual advances of supervisors, managers or others.
Unfortunately, situations of quid pro quo harassment, or a manager demanding a sexual favor in order to get a promotion or other favorable action, can and do occur in various workplaces. While these are not always explicit or sexual in nature, some situations do exist in which employees may be subjected to sexual advances from parties in positions of power. Those authority figures may express or imply that an employee will not receive a benefit, such as a raise or promotion, unless that employee submits to those advances.
This situation is one example sexual harassment, and employees may have reason to take legal action if they are subjected to such actions. Some other important details to remember in cases of sexual harassment include:
- Both women and men can be harassers or victims of sexual harassment.
- Situations in which the harasser and victim are of the same gender also exist.
- Witnesses to the offensive conduct and others beyond the direct victim could also be negatively affected.
If Washington, D.C. area workers believe that they have been subjected to quid pro quo sexual advances or other sexual harassment in the workplace, they may want to consider their legal options. Even if a person is able to fend off the harasser, negative effects to the victim’s career could still result, especially if the employee faces retaliation. Tackling this type of ordeal alone may seem intimidating, but affected individuals should consider reaching out for support from legal professionals.
