Risks of Sexual Harassment and Assault in the Workplace

A workplace is supposed to possess an environment where each employee is motivating and pushing the other to work harder, contribute to the company’s goal and build as humans together. Individuals and groups of people within an organization who indulge in verbal or physical harassment, molestation, and such universally demeaning activities must be immediately taken to court via the help of a sexual harassment law firm. How can a person lay hands on a female in an appropriate manner? That too without consent? Especially in a professional atmosphere such as that of an office or company premises. It is simply unacceptable. The insurmountable number of risks associated with such undesirable and disgusting acts can lead to several downsides not only in the victim’s career and personal life but also in the company’s overall reputation and business affairs.

Workplace Power Disparity

By workplace it does not always have to mean an office; even restaurants, sports centers, and studio sets are workplaces of their own kind. The disparity between genders, different positions and races are a common issue at the workplace. More than half of all restaurant workers and studio employees are women in some parts of the world. The former receives tips from their customers and this constitutes for one-third of their monthly income, whereas the latter receive leads, make contacts and climb the entertainment ladder when they are available 24/7, even if it is for cleaning the set floor or bringing tea for all the senior representatives. They are the most susceptible prey to sexual misconduct due to their fear that pressurizes them to stay quiet irrespective of the level of harassment.

These employees find themselves in such situations because they do not want to jeopardize their additional income and rapidly building contact base respectively. Now, this forced mindset is adapted due to its crucial role in survival skills. But these employees lose out on confidence, taking a stand for themselves and their self-respect ridiculously drops. Individuals who are to blame for this unfair downfall in the lives of employees must be dragged into legal matters with the help of a sexual assault law firm.

Workplace Isolation

In these socially progressive times, most service providers for food, accommodation, bars, and hospitals are open throughout the night, 365 days a year. Women who work night-shifts have more than one unpleasant experience during their tenure at the location. Often, there are no cameras, pin-drop silence, no one to respond when you scream, guards who are dozing off – this poses as an overly unsafe situation for a woman who has got eyes on her at odd times of the night. Whether it is a night shift janitor, healthcare provider to an elderly citizen or a worker on remote agricultural fields – they all tend to feel uncomfortable due to the cold looks and vibes they receive from fellow employees.

Due to long term projects, despite an incident related to the touching of their genitals and even more bizarre sexual harassment moments, they cannot leave their on-field tasks and evade the situation. This would leave their only source of income and career in doubt, making it hard to provide for themselves and their families. In an already low-energy atmosphere, such incidents lower the female employee’s self-esteem and instill a feeling of hopelessness within their lives. How can this help impart wisdom and success to the leading gender of our generation? This only degrades their mental condition, making them accept that they are supposed to accept this treatment due to their unintended inferiority complex. Apart from fighting these lowly souls physically, the only alternative is dragging them to the doors of a sexual harassment law firm.

Risk to Companies

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) has curated an informational packet that consists of resources related to the impact, restrictions, and reactions of sexual harassment in the workplace. Many companies offer courses once a year based on this documented guide by the NSVRC. This is done to avoid facing the pitfall that their nasty desperate employees bring upon the company. 

• Lower productivity – There is no need for evidence to deduce that sexual misconduct at a workplace will, without doubt, lead to lower commitment, job satisfaction, and performance. Whether it is verbal or non-verbal behavior, this kind of sexual hostility backfires on the company’s performance in the longer run.
• Legalities – Though most of these payouts are maintained as confidential data. It is no secret that many employees file legal cases and take away large sums of money as a token of apology for the sexual harassment that they faced. Sexual harassment lawyers in CT are responsible to advocate their clients in such cases and usually emerge victoriously, but the company goes through a loss of major finances.

Everything said and done, sexual harassment and assault in the workplace drastically impact an employee’s future jobs, their personal life, mental health and in the most unfortunate events, even their physical well-being. Individuals who take part in such demonic activities must face a lifetime punishment of being barred from an organizational domain, doing social service for a number of years or a hefty fine in combination with a deserving jail term.