What is my sexual harassment lawsuit worth?
Valuing Sexual Harassment Claims in Oregon One of the many questions that we are often asked by potential clients at our initial intake meeting is
Minneapolis Minnesota Sexual Harassment Lawyers
No one should have to experience sexual harassment at work. Sexual harassment creates a hostile work environment that can cause an employee to suffer from anxiety, stress and to feel powerless. Although sexual harassment is illegal, unfortunately, it still occurs in many workplaces.
One of the reasons sexual harassment still remains so prevalent is because employees are often too afraid to report it because they fear that doing so could cause them to lose their job. In Minnesota, you have the right to work at your job without being sexually harassed by your co-worker, supervisor, or boss. You also have the right to report sexual harassment and not be retaliated against by your employer for doing so.
Examples of Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment can take many shapes and forms in Minnesota. It can include sexual advances, inappropriate touching, patting, pinching, groping, or leering. Sexual harassment can also involve inappropriate comments made by your boss or co-workers about your body, appearance, sexual orientation, sex life, or your dress or clothing. The two main categories of sexual harassment are “quid pro quo” sexual harassment and “hostile work environment” sexual harassment.
Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment
Sometimes sexual harassment involves tying job benefits or promotions to requests for sexual favors. If your supervisor offers you a raise or other job related benefit on the condition that you provide a sexual favor or engage in a relationship with him or her, they are engaging in what is known as quid pro quo sexual harassment. Quid pro quo sexual harassment can also include situations where the employee rejects the sexual advances of a colleague or supervisor and is demoted, fired, or denied a bonus as a result.
Hostile Work Environment Sexual Harassment
Hostile work environment sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome verbal comments or inappropriate physical touching becomes so severe and pervasive that it causes enough anxiety and stress that the victim is not able to concentrate on their work and effectively perform their job.
Minnesota law does not specify exactly what exactly constitutes a hostile work environment, however, courts will look to the offensiveness of the conduct, how frequently it occurred, and its effect on the victim in determining whether a hostile work was created by the sexual harassment. Severe sexual harassment occurring repeatedly over many months is more likely to be recognized as creating a hostile work environment. In contrast, a single isolated inappropriate comment made by an insensitive co-worker may not qualify as creating a hostile work environment.
An experienced Minnesota sexual harassment lawyer can help you to assess whether the sexual harassment you are experiencing at work meets the qualifications of a hostile work environment and what can be done to remedy it.
When can an Employer or be Held Liable for Sexual Harassment in Minnesota?
Sexual Harassment is prohibited by both Minnesota state law and federal laws. Employers who know of the unwanted harassment or should have known about it and fail to put a stop to it, can be held legally liable in Minnesota for fostering a hostile work environment. For example, if your employer tolerates pornography or sexual pictures and images in the workplace or does not appropriately discipline its employees for making repeated inappropriate sexual comments or for sending sexually explicit text messages or emails to co-workers, the employee can pursue a sexual harassment claim against their employer.
Job protection for victims who report sexual harassment
One of the main concerns that victims of sexual harassment often have, is what will happen to them if they come forward and make a report of sexual harassment to human resources or management. Under Minnesota law, it is illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who report sexual harassment. If an employer fires, terminates, or demotes the victim simply because he or she reported sexual harassment, the employee can bring a lawsuit on that basis alone and seek compensation for their loss of income and other job related benefits that they lost as a result of their protected report.
b>Sexual Harassment Legal Help in Minneapolis and St. Paul
If you believe that you have been victimized by sexual harassment, we may be able to help you.
Kuhlman Law, PLLC is dedicated to fighting for our clients who have had to endure sexual harassment at work. Whether you are still working and suffering from sexual harassment or have been fired or forced to quit as a result of sexual harassment, we can help you stop the offensive conduct once and for all and hold the wrongdoers accountable.
Our law firm handles employment law cases throughout Minnesota in a variety of venues, including Minnesota state court, federal court, and those before administrative agency bodies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, and the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission. We strongly believe that all people have the right to work in an environment free from harassment and discrimination. We fight to protect employees’ rights and routinely take on large companies, government agencies, and other employers who tolerate sexual harassment or who retaliate against employees who report sexual harassment.
If you or a loved one has experienced sexual harassment in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or the Twin Cities metro area, contact an employment law attorney immediately. An experienced employment lawyer can help you determine if your rights were violated, evaluate the strengths of your case, collect evidence, and depending on the facts, help you recover a cash settlement to compensate you for what you have been subjected to.
If you have been subjected to improper sexual harassment at work, contact an experienced Minnesota sexual harassment lawyer at Kuhlman Law, PLLC. To learn more and schedule a free consultation with Minneapolis Employee Rights Lawyer Christopher Kuhlman, call 612 349 2747.
Valuing Sexual Harassment Claims in Oregon One of the many questions that we are often asked by potential clients at our initial intake meeting is