A Kentucky woman was awarded $1 million in damages for the horrendous sexual harassment she was subjected to while working for a local subsidiary of Tyson Foods. Ever since the moment she took the job she was constantly harassed by her male colleagues who would make lewd and suggestive comments or try to grope her. When she complained to her employer she was offered an incredible excuse – she should understand that the guys were aroused by her physical appearance. She had no other choice but to quit her job when it became obvious no action would be taken against her harassers.

If you find yourself in a similar situation you should reach out to skilled Kentucky sexual harassment lawyers and fight for your right to a safe work environment. Employee rights are protected under the Kentucky Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment, pregnancy and related medical conditions.

When you schedule a consultation with a lawyer, they’ll first want to hear the facts. Don’t expect them to promise you a seven-figure settlement. That rarely happens. You can, however, win significant damages covering your lost wages, the mental suffering you experienced, as well as your litigation fees.

In order to win a sexual harassment lawsuit, you need to prove you were subjected to extensive sexual harassment.The woman in the Tyson Foods case stated in her complaint that there were hundreds of such incidents in the short time she worked for that company.

You don’t have to come up with hundreds of incidents, but the number should be high enough to sustain the idea that there was a pervasive atmosphere of sexual harassment which amounted to a hostile work environment. Under Kansas law, a hostile environment is described as having to put up with unwelcome sexual advances and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

Experienced sexual harassment lawyers will also want who was responsible for such behavior. If the harasser is a supervisor who uses this type of behavior to make you submit to their sexual overtures this constitutes a quid pro quo case, punishable by law.

The moment when you file a complaint with state authorities or launch a lawsuit be prepared to hear some very nasty things about yourself. The most common type of defense an employer uses in such cases is to allege that the sexual conduct was not unwelcome. Simply put, you’ll be accused of welcoming or initiating the sexual advances of your coworkers.

Employment lawyers with a lot of practice in such cases advise their clients to make it quite clear to their harassers that such conduct is not welcome. State your objection out loud and let your fellow employees know you took offense to the sexual jokes or overtures. Also, make sure to raise your grievances with your employer, file a written complaint with the HR so there can be no denying that they knew what was going on.

If you’re still wondering how that woman got $1 million in damages, that’s because the HR representative she talked to only pretended to listen to her grievances. The notes he supposedly took were never found and there was no internal investigation into the case. The judge was appalled by such an attitude.

The state of California has one of the most comprehensive laws against sexual discrimination in the workplace. While many other states rely on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act for sexual harassment cases, California has passed the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) which prohibits discrimination based on based on marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. To understand how you can use this law you’ll need to reach out to an experienced lawyer, as sexual harassment lawyers are notoriously hard to prove.

For the person subjected to constant sexual harassment in their place of work, the case is crystal clear. They can cite any number of instances when they’ve been humiliated based on their sex or sexual orientation. However, without strong proof your case won’t hold up in court.

Good California sexual harassment lawyers can help you build a good case. The type of proof you need to get depends on the nature of the harassment you’ve experienced.

The most common is verbal harassment, which the perpetrators habitually call ‘innocent fun’. It surely is fun for them, but not for the victim. If your workmates make fun of you because of your sex or sexual orientation, you could try to get that on tape. Any type of remark with a sexual connotation or obscene joke can be used as proof. However, you will need to prove that the behavior was severe enough or pervasive enough to cause mental anguish and affect your work. To build a strong case you’ll need to bring up more than one incident.

If your workmates send you obscene messages of any kind, that’s also a case of sexual harassment.

However, the most severe cases of sexual harassment refer to sexual favors being required of you. It might be just your supervisor or someone from the upper management, typically someone in a position to fire you or deny you a promotion if you do not comply with their request.

Employment lawyers dealing with such cases often advise their clients to put up with the situation just a little more and collect the evidence needed to substantiate their claim.

At the same time, seasoned sexual harassment lawyers will advise you on the best way to go forward. This usually starts with a complaint to your employer. According to the law, an employer needs to have an anti-harassment policy in place and provide training to their employees. Once such a complaint is made, the employer is required to take immediate action to put an end to the sexual harassment and punish those responsible.

Most times, they do. If they don’t, you can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They usually try to mediate an agreement between the two parts. Most attorneys prefer this option as it’s quicker and less painful than a full trial. However, if they don’t have a choice and the EEOC mediation doesn’t improve your situation, your attorneys will help you file a lawsuit.

Three former employees of an Orlando O’Reilly Auto Parts store were awarded $165,000 in damages following a sexual harassment lawsuit. The three women accused one manager of repeatedly making coarse sexual remarks and touching them in an inappropriate manner. One of the women stated that the store manager grabbed her crotch and pinned her against a table. The situation in the store was so bad that even shocked customers called the store’s corporate office to complain of what they’ve witnessed.

This is a textbook case of sexual harassment and if you’re in a similar situation you need to follow these brave women’s example and take action. First, you’ll need to speak to a lawyer with many years of practice in this area. 

You need an attorney as you must follow the correct procedures and you also have to build a strong case against your employer or the coworkers that are harassing you.

Experienced sexual harassment lawyers will explain what are the steps you must take before you can file a lawsuit.

The first step is consulting your employee handbook, which should include provisions for sexual harassment complaints. If your company did not provide you with such a handbook, you’ll have to take the matter to the Human Resources department. If there’s a pervasive sexual harassment situation in the company that is tolerated by the management, the HR won’t probably be able to help you. Employment lawyers will, and the sooner you talk to them, the better.

They will assist you in filing a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) and/or the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Often enough, such complaints are resolved through mediation.

However, you will have to present a solid case when you get before the EEOC and this means bringing ample proof of the sexual harassment you were subjected to.

To do that, you need to understand what constitutes sexual harassment in the eyes of the law.

One type of sexual harassment refers to your coworkers creating a hostile work environment. Using crude language, making lewd remarks or jokes of a sexual nature is one example of a hostile work environment. Being humiliated by your colleagues’ jokes is bad enough, but many female employees often have to endure much worse, just as in the story of the Orlando O’Reilly Auto Parts. 

At the same time, if a direct supervisor or managers is soliciting sexual favors, threatening you with termination or making your life miserable, this is what legal experts call a quid pro quo sexual harassment case. 

Seasoned Florida sexual harassment lawyers can help you document the abuse you were subjected to. In cases like these, finding proof to corroborate your claims can be difficult, as few people are as stupid as the O’Reilly store manager as to harass employees in front of the customers. However, you might find workmates willing to testify on your behalf, describing the incidents they’ve witnessed or sharing their own story of abuse.

You can use their testimony during the mediation process. Your attorneys will advise you on what damages you should seek. If EEOC mediation is not enough to reach an agreement, then it’s time to take the matter to court. 

Vermont has one of the strictest anti-discrimination laws of all American states. While in many states such laws only apply to businesses with 15 or more employees, in Vermont you have the right to be protected from sexual-harassment even if you’re the only employee. If you work for someone, that someone is legally required to ensure a safe workplace free of sex-based discrimination. Any type of discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal.

The provisions in the Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act extend to cover the rights of independent contractors, interns or volunteers. If you feel harassed in the workplace, you don’t have to put up with it. All you need is a good lawyer to show you how to proceed. Your right to a safe work environment is guaranteed, but you need to make sure you follow all the steps, as described by the law.

Although this is not mandatory, Vermont employers should have an anti-discrimination policy in place and provide training to their employees, especially those in management position, on preventing sexual harassment. At the same time, your employer should have a procedure for filing a complaint and all employees should know who they need to speak to in case they’re being harassed.

So, what do you do when someone at work is harassing you verbally or physically? First of all, let them know that such behavior is unacceptable to you and you do not welcome their sexual overtures, touching, or jokes. This may or may not help, but you need to let them know loud and clear that they’re being offensive.

As for the next step, sexual harassment lawyers encourage their clients to make an internal complaint with the HR or talk to their employer.  Best if you inform them in writing and keep a copy, so you’ll have proof that they knew of your problems. If they take action and discipline those responsible, as required by law, all’s well and your problems are over.

If they fail to take action, don’t waste another minute. Reach out to seasoned employment lawyers and they’ll know what needs to be done.

You have the right to file a complaint with  the Vermont Attorney General’s office, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or the Vermont Human Rights Commission. Your attorneys will help you formulate your complaint, and you need to be very thorough about it, listing all the incidents, giving the names of those involved and describing what they said or did to you. If possible, your Vermont sexual harassment lawyers will try to talk to other employees who witnessed some of the incidents and might be willing to help. They have nothing to fear if they support you in your sexual harassment claim, as retaliation is also prohibited under the law.

The state or federal commission will investigate your complaint and they will try to negotiate a settlement with your employer. According to the law, you are entitled to seek damages for all you have suffered. If you were fired, you can recover the lost wages, and you can also seek compensation for the mental suffering, including any costs associated with therapy and medication. And you’ll be compensated for your legal costs.