Sexual Harassment Facts

Spotlight on Gender Discrimination

August, 2008

$2 Million Awarded in Wal-Mart Bias Suit A Massachusetts state jury awarded almost $2 million to a former Wal-Mart employee after finding out that the retailer underpaid her and then fired her as a result of gender discrimination. Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has been bombarded with complaints of underpaying its workers. It is also facing the biggest sexual discrimination case in US history. Click here to read more information about gender discrimination. If you or someone you know has been underpaid or fired due to gender discrimination, contact one of our sexual harassment attorneys in your area today!

The term sexual harassment is perpetually being redefined and broadened in legislation and court decisions. However, not all sexual behavior in the workplace is harassment, and the laws against sexual discrimination do not extend to situations outside the workplace or school.

Unwelcome advances, requests for favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a such nature constitutes maltreatment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following:

• The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
  
  
• The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
  
  
• The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
  
  
• Unlawful sexual discrimination may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
  
  
• The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.

Updated: LW