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Published on: 7/16/2008
Last Visited: 7/18/2008
"'Harassment' is the key word," said Thomas Daniel, a labor and employment attorney with the law firm Perkins
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"That's when a boss says, 'Sleep with me or I will fire you,' or alternatively, 'Sleep with me and I will give you a promotion,'" said Daniel.But the most common type of harassment seen at a workplace is a hostile environment in which the harassing behavior is causing the employee to feel uncomfortable, regardless if a supervisor is involved.
"Generally, where a employee is contending a coworker or supervisor is coming on to them sexually," said Daniel.
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"So if even if the initial complaint that the employee makes, turns out not to be valid or not severe enough to constitute legally harassment, the employer can't then retaliate against the employee by changing their job position, demoting them, or firing them because they made that complaint," said Daniel.
Many employers offer training to their employees and managers explaining exactly what constitutes harassment.
But the bottom line is one simple rule:
"Employees should just avoid engaging in sexually offense conduct towards their coworkers," said Daniel.