While, in the media and in movies, women are frequently the targets of sexual harassment, in actuality, men across California and the nation are also common victims of such behavior in the workplace. When men accuse others of sexual harassment, however, higher-ups do not always take their allegations as seriously as those made by women, indicating that a serious double standard exists in today’s working world. At Jay S. Rothman & Associates, we recognize that men, too, often fall victim to workplace sexual harassment, and we have helped many clients, both male and female, pursue appropriate recourse in the aftermath of harassment.
According to Psychology Today, men are reporting instances of workplace sexual harassment at increasing rates, with nearly 18 percent of all sexual harassment reports received by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2013 filed by men. Just what types of sexual harassment are men experiencing in today’s work environment?
In some cases, men are experiencing unwanted advances from others in the workplace, and often, those harassing them are in positions of power. Unwanted advances can take on any number of different forms, from high-pressure tactics to get you to date or engage in a physical relationship with someone to inappropriate comments about your body, sexual preferences and so on. Sexual coercion, too, is an issue among many working men, some of whom feel as if their jobs may be in jeopardy if they fail to appease their harasser’s demands.
Gender harassment, too, is a common form of workplace sexual harassment that affects men and women alike. Your harasser or harassers may, for example, suggest that certain behaviors make you seem “like less of a man,” or they may otherwise give you a hard time for failing to conform to more “traditional” gender roles or stereotypes. You can find more about sexual harassment on our webpage.
