Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 established statutes that make it unlawful for employers to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex. Sexual harassment was included under the Act by precedent in 1986, when the Supreme Court recognized it as unlawful in the case of Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson. This landmark decision enabled victims of sexual harassment to sue their employers for monetary damages.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is responsible for enforcing Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. If you believe you've been a victim of workplace sexual harassment, you may file a charge under Title VII with the EEOC, to preserve the ability of the EEOC to act on your behalf and protect your right to file a private lawsuit. You have a limited period of time to file your charge, so it's a good idea to do so right away.

The EEOC suggests that it might be helpful to your case, if you let the harasser know that his or her behavior is unwanted and must stop immediately. It might also help your case to report sexual harassment through your employer's grievance system. (At many corporations, the HR departments handle such complaints.) It's illegal for an employer to retaliate when an employee complains about sexual harassment or any type of discrimination protected by the Civil Rights Act.

For more information about workplace sexual harassment, click the resources under Elsewhere on the Web in the sidebar or contact the nearest EEOC field office.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
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