JUST BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE AT WORK ACCEPTS SEXUAL HARASSMENT DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT

If you have ever experienced sexual harassment, you may find it surprisingly difficult to get sympathetic responses from certain people – particularly from coworkers. Why is this?

Human psychology is, if nothing else, surprising.

Even when presented with bold facts and emotionally compelling stories, people can find ways to ignore the obvious. We are all guilty of operating on “see no evil, hear no evil” autopilot now and again. We need to tune out depressing stories just to keep our sanity. But when you suffer an indignity — like getting catcalled by your supervisor or being sent naughty emails from a creepy person in accounting — you want people to care and come to your defense/rescue.

Some workplace cultures are just downright perverse. These backwards cultures allow bad acts to go unpunished, and they allow victims to be shamed into saying nothing.

For instance, perhaps it is normal at your workplace for a supervisor to give “office backrubs.” If so, a kind of unconscious social pressure will develop to prevent people from complaining about the back rubs. So if the backrubs make you uncomfortable, you may find yourself the odd man (or woman) out. You might not get much sympathy from your coworkers. Indeed, that fear of being isolated may make you hesitant to speak up. Few people enjoy “making waves” and “ruffling feathers” unless it is absolutely necessary.

To get clear about what options you have, if any, to stop the unfair or uncomfortable workplace treatment, connect with Los Angeles employment law attorney, Nancy Gray, today to schedule a free and confidential consultation.