When stories circulate about sexual harassment in the workplace, they often deal with the harassment of women. That may be because more than half of all women in the workplace have reported some kind of sexual harassment on the job. However, more and more men are reporting sexual harassment at work as well.
A recent survey indicates that charges filed by men are on the rise, and that approximately one-third of all working men had reported at least one form of sexual harassment the year before. The statistics show an increase: There were 7,809 sexual harassment charges filed in 2011 with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and 16.1 percent of those were filed by men. By 2013, the number had risen to 17.6 percent.
Despite the serious nature of sexual harassment, and the damages it can cause, it is not treated as seriously when it is reported by men as opposed to claims by women. That may be partly because there has been extensive research on the effect it has on women, including how it impacts women emotionally and on the job front. But there have been relatively few studies on the impact harassment has on men.
The types of sexual harassment are generally divided into the following categories:
- Unwanted sexual attention occurs when someone in the workplace makes unwanted or offensive sexual advances. This may include sexual touching, or putting pressure on someone for a date.
- Sexual coercion happens when an unwilling worker is threatened or bribed into forming a sexual relationship.
- Gender harassment involves the harassment of someone based solely on their gender. This may include degrading comments, sexual jokes, and even violent threats.
Both men and women have reported all of the above forms, and men are usually named as the harassers. However, men who do not conform to gender roles may be especially vulnerable to this kind of treatment from women or other men.
If you believe that you have been sexually harassed at work, call the Philadelphia sexual harassment lawyers at The Gold Law Firm P.C. They can guide you in making the best decisions and protecting your workplace rights. Please call 215-569-1999, or fill out this online contact form for a free consultation.
