If you own a business or are starting a new business in Florida, there are many employment laws that you will want to become educated about. Among these are the laws governing sexual harassment in the workplace. How is sexual harassment defined? Who can be accused of sexually harassing another person? Is a financial impact required in order to make a claim?
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission explains that one of the required components of any act or acts that are alleged as sexually harassing is that they must be unwelcome. A person can be accused of harassment even when no physical contact is made between the people involved. In fact, a person who is not even the direct recipient of any harassment but is simply affected by the behavior may report a claim.
Sexual harassment may include remarks that another person considers offensive, requests for or suggestions of sexual activity or favors, and any other act deemed a sexual advance. While most people think of sexual harassment as being alleged by women against men, this does not always have to be the case. Men as well as women can be the targets of harassing behavior. On the other side of things, women as well as men can be accused of harassment. Claims of sexual harassment can be made against managers, subordinates, colleagues, and even people in completely different departments.
You can learn more about sexual harassment and other employer-employee disputes in Florida on the corporate law page of our website.
