When it comes to sexual harassment, nobody is immune. Sexual harassment can happen to anybody at any gender in any position of their life; sexual harassment does not discriminate based on race, gender or even sexual orientation. Fortunately for victims of sexual harassment, the law does not discriminate either, and everyone is afforded the necessary protections from sexual harassment in the workplace. It is perhaps because of these protections that fewer cases of sexual harassment appear to be happening.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission keeps track of sexual harassment allegations across the country, and statistics from the last four years show that the number of sexual harassment charges has been steadily declining. In 2014, there were less than 7,000 sexual harassment charges, compared to the nearly 8,000 that occurred back in 2010. As pleasant as it is to know that the number of charges is dropping, it is still sobering to know that thousands of employees are allegedly suffering from sexual harassment in the workplace.
Interestingly, the percentage of sexual harassment charges filed by males has actually increased throughout this four year period. It is important to remember that while many people stereotype sexual harassment as happening to women, men can also suffer from sexual harassment, and they are also protected by the law.
Unfortunately, the EEOC’s graph does not list charges by state, but since this data includes all of the United States, it is safe to assume that many of these accusations happened in California, one of the largest states in the country. Hopefully there will come a day when there are no sexual harassment charges filed, but until sexual harassment stops happening, it is important that people continue to take advantage of their rights. If you are a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, know that you are protected. An attorney can help you make a claim to have your harassment stopped and even be compensated for your suffering.