Sexual Harassment

If you have been subjected to unwanted sexual or romantic advances or inappropriately charged comments in your workplace, you may feel embarrassed, offended, and upset. Sexual harassment is a form of gender discrimination that is prohibited under federal and state laws. You have a right to work in a job that is free from sexual harassment. The Grand Rapids and Traverse City sexual harassment attorneys at Neumann Law Group can evaluate the circumstances and explain your legal options. By pursuing a claim for damages with the assistance of an employment lawyer, workers may achieve a sense of justice and be able to move on with their lives.

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual or romantic advances, demands for sexual favors, and other sexually charged actions or words. Whether you are sexually assaulted on the job or your employer conditions your employment on performing a sexual favor, sexual harassment may be very embarrassing and upsetting. You should make it clear to the person harassing you that sexual conduct or language is unwelcome. You may be entitled to file a lawsuit under federal or state law.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits sexual harassment as a form of gender discrimination. It only applies to employers with 15 or more employees. If you are sexually harassed and wish to file a federal lawsuit, you must first file a charge with the agency that enforces Title VII, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC may ask you to participate in mediation with your employer or conduct an investigation. If it does not wish to pursue your claim, you will be issued a Notice of Right to Sue. Our sexual harassment lawyers then can guide Traverse City or Grand Rapids residents through the litigation.

The Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibits employers in the state from discriminating on the basis of sex. As with federal law, this includes sexual harassment. Moreover, all employers in Michigan, regardless of their size, are covered by ELCRA. The law applies to both employers and their agents. In Michigan, same-sex harassment or harassment of a man by a woman is also a violation of the law.

Both federal and state laws prohibit employer retaliation against employees who complain about sexual harassment. Retaliation may include any adverse actions that are taken against an employee who reported an unlawful employment practice, such as sexual harassment, or filed a charge or lawsuit. Retaliation may also include adverse actions taken against employees who serve as witnesses for other employees' sexual harassment lawsuits. The critical issue under federal law is whether the allegedly retaliatory act would cause a reasonable person in the same situation to be deterred from pursuing a legal remedy.

You have a right to file a lawsuit for damages if you have been subjected to sexual harassment on the job. Damages may include back pay, front pay, and emotional distress. Our Traverse City and Grand Rapids sexual harassment lawyers are ready to assist you. We also represent people in Ann Arbor, Flint, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Wyoming, Saginaw, Muskegon, Midland, Holland, Warren, and Petoskey, as well as areas throughout the Upper Peninsula. Contact Neumann Law Group at 800-525-NEUMANN or via our online form to set up a free appointment. We also can represent people who need an age or race discrimination attorney.