Employees should never be forced into submitting to sexual advances, and they have the right to refuse whomever they wish.
Since 1992, Connecticut has been one of the leading states in preventing sexual harassment. The Human Rights and Opportunity Act as well as similar laws were created to ensure that everyone remains as safe as possible when they are in the workplace. The laws and regulations regarding sexual harassment were further strengthened during the Me-Too movement that took place in 2017. It was this that lead to the Time’s Up Act which combines both the Public Acts 19-16 and 19-93.
According to the law in Connecticut, many employers are required to provide sexual harassment training to all of their employees, especially those that are in managerial positions. The truth is that many times sexual harassment in the workplace takes the form of those in higher positions taking advantages of the newcomers or those in a position of less power. It is for this reason that the employees who have more power need to be educated on the consequences of sexual harassment.
All employees should also be informed of the best way to file a sexual harassment complaint, and once such a complaint is received HR should deal with it professionally and as best as possible. If the complaint is not taken seriously by the employer, then the employee may be able to file a legal claim against them and the employer may be penalized for the harm they caused to the victim.
The legislation in Connecticut gives employees a significant amount of time to file their claim, but victims should still make sure they act as soon as possible, because the longer they wait, the more dangerous the situation may get. Individuals should connect with attorneys near me as soon as they are faced with sexual harassment so they can get the protection they need.
A lawyer’s help will especially be required if a complaint is filed with the company, but they refuse to do anything about it.
What is Considered Sexual Harassment in New Haven, CT?
Any unwelcome sexual advances or even requests for sexual favors are counted as acts of sexual harassment. In fact, if any conduct is sexual in nature, it may be counted as sexual harassment, however, it must fulfill certain requirements.
For instance, if the victim is expected to submit or they may face employment consequences, and if they reject the advances, they will face the same consequences then the act is sexual harassment. This holds true whether the environment is implicitly or explicitly this way.
Employees should never be forced into submitting to sexual advances, and they have the right to refuse whomever they wish. If anyone does not feel safe at work, they should start collecting evidence of their harassment and connect with a sexual harassment lawyer to help them defend their rights.
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