Sexual harassment generally includes unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that adversely affects the terms and conditions of a person's employment. The harassment may be verbal or physical, or a combination of the two. The key elements that must be shown are that the conduct/harassment is unwelcome, and that it is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it causes unreasonable interference with the victim's employment.

Actionable sexual harassment in the workplace takes two primary forms. Quid pro quo sexual harassment takes place when a supervisor or someone with authority over an employee's job expressly or implicitly demands sexual favors as a condition in exchange for hiring, promotion or retaining that employee. Hostile work environment sexual harassment occurs where the harassment unreasonably interferes with the employee's performance, or creates an offensive or intimidating work environment. Being the butt of sexually-charged jokes or pranks, touching, being grabbed or whistled at, being subject to pornographic images or sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other offensive/ unwelcome verbal, visual or physical conduct can create a hostile work environment and qualify as sexual harassment.

Where either of these forms of sexual harassment is present and it can be proven that the harassment has adversely affected the employee's conditions of employment, that employee has the right to file a complaint against his or her employer with a local, state or federal agency. Once a claim has been filed, the employee becomes a protected individual under the law, and it is illegal for the employer to take any negative or retaliatory action against the employee as result of the complaint.

At Eckert Craven, P.C., a substantial portion of our practice is devoted to representing the rights of employees who have been sexually harassed in the workplace. We have filed cases against large and small employers in both Indiana State Courts and Federal District Courts for retaliation, wrongful termination and other events that changed the employment conditions of our clients, resulting from quid pro quo and hostile work environment sexual harassment that they were the victims of. We have obtained significant settlements and large money payments on behalf of our clients in this area of the law.

If you believe that you have been or are being sexually harassed in the workplace, you need an attorney who is well versed in this area of law and has the experience to get results from the courts. With sexual harassment litigation as a primary focus of our practice, at Eckert Craven, P.C, we know how to make the system work for our clients, protect their legal rights and receive the results and compensation to which they are entitled. We will make employers sit up and take notice.

Contact Indianapolis, Indiana sexual harassment lawyers Eckert Craven, P.C. to learn more about what we can do for you.

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