LegalReader.com  ·  Legal News, Analysis, & Commentary

Crimes

The Necessity of Reporting Sexual Harassment to the Employer in Ohio


— December 10, 2021

The sooner a victim acts, the sooner they can free themselves from the shackles of oppression and fear at the workplace, and the easier it will be for them to provide evidence of the harassment occurring.


Sexual harassment is considered a serious crime in Ohio, and anyone who is caught for such actions will have to answer to the law for what they did once they are reported. It must be acknowledged that the victim needs to file a complaint against the perpetrator and let the employer know what happened to them first. If they fail to report the incident and they just go straight to filing a lawsuit this will likely not work in their favor as their first step should be to report the incident to the employer, manager, or HR as soon as possible.

However, sometimes the problem is that the person who is doing the harassing is the one in power or the one a person is supposed to report to. When this is the case, then a person will have to make it very clear to the employer that they do not like the actions being done towards them, and they also need to document as much evidence as possible. They then should connect with a lawyer who specializes in dealing with sexual harassment cases so they can go forward with a legal protocol that will be taken seriously and that will also keep them safe in the office.

The main reason that most victims stay silent is because of the risk of retaliation from the employer. People fear going forward with filing a legal complaint because they are afraid that they may lose their job, or they are afraid their employer will do something further to make their life even more difficult.

Man and woman in a meeting; image by Charles, via Unsplash.com.
Image by Charles, via Unsplash.com.

How much time is there to file a sexual harassment claim in Ohio?

When a person files a sexual harassment claim in Ohio, they have to make sure they act within the required timeframe. The victim has six years to file there claim, and this is a substantial amount of time. However, if a person wants to get thorough government involvement, then they need to file with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 300 days of the misconduct occurring.

The sooner a victim acts, the sooner they can free themselves from the shackles of oppression and fear at the workplace, and the easier it will be for them to provide evidence of the harassment occurring. Just like all other legal situations a person has to make sure they have thoroughly documented evidence for their case to be taken seriously. It is easier to collect evidence near the time of the incident so a person should not unnecessarily delay filing a claim as this may be detrimental to their case.

Join the conversation!