A transcript, lightly edited for readability, of a Real Life Law segment from Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona, originally broadcast on 96.1 WLKG in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Transcript
Our office gets calls from both employees and employers about sexual harassment. It’s a big topic these days. Today we’ll look at it from the employee’s point of view.
For employees, the question is: what is sexual harassment? If you watched the AMC show Mad Men, sexual harassment was one of the main things going on. They may have been doing work, but the show concentrated on the relationships, most of which today would be the subject of a lawsuit.
Sexual harassment is when an employer conditions employment opportunities on some version of sex, when someone is harassing an employee, or when there’s a hostile work environment, an environment that makes it difficult for the employee to work there.
Sometimes employees tell me, “I just don’t feel right with this person at work. They creep me out.” When I ask why, they say, “I can’t articulate a good reason, but they give me a bad vibe.” That’s not sexual harassment. You need something more concrete to prove a case. Sexually oriented touching can be sexual harassment. Sexually suggestive comments can be sexual harassment. Conditions placed on employment can be sexual harassment.
There’s a wide range of situations that can amount to sexual harassment, dealt with in countless cases. Whether harassment has taken place, and whether there’s a lawsuit that should come from it, really depends on the facts of each situation.
This segment is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Laws change, and every case depends on its facts. To talk with an attorney, call (312) 362-0000 in Illinois or (262) 812-0864 in Wisconsin, or send us a message.
Related: Employment Law · More Real Life Law segments