Workplace sexual harassment reporting in California

A recent legal case involving workplace sexual harassment shows why many people fail to report harassment or even attacks. The case involved a resort in Colorado, and several of its employees had reported attempted rapes to no avail. It was not until the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a suit on behalf of the employees that anything was done.

The case was settled, and the company agreed to pay more than $1 million and be monitored for five years as well. It was also agreed that the resort would put management through extensive sexual harassment training. Unfortunately, as in this situation, businesses fail to deal with sexual harassment all too often.

There are numerous reports of individuals stating that, when they reported harassment or a sexual assault, their statements were ignored. Some stated that it was indicated to them that they might lose their job if they mentioned it again. Due to the reaction of many companies, people may not report harassment. In fact, many anti-rape groups believe that sexual harassment is vastly underreported because of the way that organizations handle reports of problems.

Although individuals who report or experience unwanted sexual advances or other forms of hostile working environments are often concerned about losing their job, the reality is that retaliation is illegal, whether it takes the form of termination or a denial of a promotion. People who are experiencing this type of behavior and who have complained to no avail to management about it may want to meet with an employment law attorney in order to determine what the next step should be.

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