how an attorney changed the outcome of my lawsuit

Posted on: 21 April 2015

If you are the victim of sexual harassment in your workplace, you may feel stressed and/or frightened when trying to decide how to handle the situation. Hiring a sexual harassment attorney may be needed to help you with the issue. However, there are steps you will need to take before you consider pursuing the matter in court.

Understand Your Legal Rights There are federal and state laws designed to protect you from sexual harassment when you are at work. This includes the following types:

1. Sexual Overtones - This can include sexual remarks, groping and other types of unwanted sexual advances.
2. Gender Based Harassment - This is generally because you are male or female. You may be treated unfavorably simply because of your sex.

First Steps a Victim Should Take One of the first things you should consider doing is telling the person who is harassing you to stop. Sometimes by being direct and clear about what they have said or done that is offensive, you may be able to end the matter quickly. However, confronting the individual is generally not a requirement and if you are uncomfortable speaking to the person there are other steps to take.

It is important for you to notify your employer. If your employer has a sexual harassment policy, you will need to follow the procedures it outlines. If there is no policy, you should tell your supervisor. If you are being harassed by your supervisor, you may need to speak to someone in management. By informing the employer, you allow them the chance they need to correct the problem. This can be important if you have to take the issue to court.

Documenting the Issue Be sure to keep good documentation of all correspondence with your employer regarding the issue. Make copies of any forms or other documents you submit. If you have a verbal conversation, it can be a good idea to document the conversation by mailing a letter to your employer detailing the specifics of the conversation. Be sure to include the date and time of the conversation.

In addition, you should also keep a diary of any further issues of sexual harassment you encounter. Be sure to include the date, time, location and exact quotes of what was said. You should also note if any other people were present as well.

By taking steps to notify your employer and keeping good secondary documentation, you will have a good record of the issue. This can be vital, as an employer is not required to fire an employee for causing this type of problem. Because of this, the issue may continue.

If you decide to pursue the matter in court, you will need to show that the situation is frequent and severe. Good documentation will help with this. It will also show the steps your employer took to solve the issue and their results. A sexual harassment lawyer will often find this information helpful in preparing your case for court.