Charlotte Sexual Harassment Attorneys

Both Title VII of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the North Carolina Equal Employment Practices Act prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. Under these laws, sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and harassing behavior or harassing comments involving sex. Comments do not have to be explicit to meet the definition of sexual harassment. It’s important to note that sexual harassment can include members of the same sex and members of the opposite sex. 

Study the following examples that could meet the definition of sexual harassment in the workplace:

• Sharing pornographic images, videos, or animated GIFs.
• Sending explicit letters, notes, emails, or texts.
• Telling sexually-oriented jokes.
• Repeatedly asking a co-worker out on dates, even after an individual declines.
• Conditioning a raise or a promotion on sexual favors or a date.
• Making comments about a co-worker’s appearance or inquiring about one’s relationship status.
• Making insulting comments about a co-worker’s gender identity.
• Unwanted touching, kissing, or other physical contact
• Stalking or paying someone an uncomfortable amount of attention, either inside or outside the workplace.
• Blocking a co-worker’s movement or trapping someone in a corner.

Comments or behavior tied to sex become harassment only if they are frequent, create a hostile work environment, or lead to negative employment decisions such as a reduction in pay, demotion, or firing. Practical jokes, teasing comments, remarks, or other statements or behaviors generally do not meet the definition of sexual harassment if they happen occasionally or in isolation. 

The experienced sexual harassment attorneys in the Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, P.C., can help evaluate your case and make a professional recommendation on how to proceed. They can also advise where appropriate the best ways to document the harassment and gather evidence.