What Do I Need to Prove Sexual Harassment at Work?

DuPage Attorneys Find Ways to Prove Your Harassment Happened

Workplace sexual harassment can be traumatic for victims, and it can create an environment in which people fear for their safety or experience discomfort and other emotional issues that may prevent them from doing their jobs effectively. While sexual harassment is illegal, and it should be addressed promptly as soon as it is reported to an employer, there are many situations where it is allowed to continue. Those who have experienced sexual harassment will need to understand what steps they can take to stop this behavior, address the harmful effects they have experienced, and protect the safety and well-being of themselves and others.

One of the most frustrating things about trying to prove sexual harassment at work is that there are usually no other people who witnessed the sexual harassment when it took place. Employees who report sexual harassment may not be believed by managers or human resources personnel, and in some cases, and company may even take actions to penalize or terminate a person who has made these types of reports. If you are in this situation, you may be able to file a lawsuit or take other legal action to force your employer to comply with the law and address the harm you have suffered. In order to gain traction in your sexual harassment lawsuit, you will need to find a way to prove the harassment occurred.

Proving Sexual Harassment

Most sexual harassment cases boil down to who has said what about an alleged situation. Most of the time, nothing can be solved when there are accusations from both parties. When two people make conflicting claims, a company may take the easiest route and decide that nothing needs to be done to remedy the situation. Therefore, you will need to prove that you did suffer sexual harassment from the other party. Most sexual harassers are repeat offenders, and they will try to harass you or others again if they believe they can get away with it. While you may focus on what can be done immediately to address the harassment you have experienced, the ultimate goal is to stop this individual from abusing you or other coworkers. Since it is likely that the offender will harass you or others again, be prepared. In some cases, our clients have been able to hide recording devices such as cell phones so that they can record any sexual harassment that may occur. It is not illegal to secretly record conversations as long as you were recording for your own protection and safety from harassment or other crimes. By catching the perpetrator on a recording, you may be able to seal your case for success in a sexual harassment lawsuit. Any other evidence you can find that will show that a person behaved inappropriately may help your case. You may want to save emails or other communications or get statements from any witnesses. Keeping a sexual harassment log can also benefit you, since it can confirm timelines for different incidents while also noting how you have been affected.

Contact Our DuPage County Workplace Sexual Harassment Lawyers

At Mirabella, Kincaid, Frederick & Mirabella, LLC, we have had years of experience assisting clients as they work to prove that they are victims of sexual harassment. If you, or anyone you know, have any questions regarding workplace sexual harassment lawsuits, contact us at 630-665-7300 to schedule a consultation.