From the Women’s Law Project (http://www.womenslawproject.org/):
We are in the midst of an extraordinary culture shift.
The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have unleashed a fury on the part of women who have been subjected to behaviors which, at their worst, involve felonious sexual assault in the workplace but also include offensive and humiliating words and gestures which have no place in a respectful environment.
In response to growing interest in addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault, the Women’s Law Project just published a know-your-rights fact sheet for Pennsylvania workers.
It provides an overview of the law and recommendations to protect yourself when you experience sexual harassment, focusing on employment rights and relevant crime laws.
From the fact sheet:
If a person is sexually harassed, their rights will depend on where the harassment occurred and what laws apply. Behavior that meets the definition of sexual harassment is against the law. It violates civil laws that apply to the workplace and it could also violate criminal laws. For example, a sexual assault committed by a co-worker that an employer has ignored violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and sexual assault is also a crime.
There are many differences between civil and criminal laws. How a person reports the sexual harassment, the enforcement, and the remedies (how the harassment gets addressed) are different. It is important to note that if the harassment violates both civil and criminal laws, as in the case of sexual assault, the victim does not have to report the violation to police in order to obtain civil remedies.
You can view and download Sexual Harassment at Work: Know Your Rights in Pennsylvania here.
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