What are my rights if I’m sexually harassed at work?

In Washington State, if you are sexually harassed at work, you have rights protected by both state and federal laws.   These laws may include Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sexual harassment in the workplace can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, visual, or physical sexual behaviors.

Your employer may have specific procedures on how to report sexual harassment outlined in their policies and procedures and/or employee handbook. It's important to document any incidents of harassment and keep records of your reports, including any responses from your employer.

The company may be liable for sexual harassment if your manager, supervisor, or boss is the person harassing you. If the harasser is someone who is not your manager, supervisor, or boss, the company may only be liable if they knew or should have known about the harassment and failed to prevent or remedy it.

If your employer does not take appropriate action to address any reports of sexual harassment, you may consider consulting with an attorney to find out more about your rights as an employee and what resolutions may be available to you.

Here are useful resources related to sexual harassment from the EEOC:

• Sexual Harassment | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)

• Fact Sheet: Sexual Harassment Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)