Sexual Harassment

San Antonio Sexual Harassment Attorneys

Every Texas employee deserves the right to a workplace in which his or her daily responsibilities can be completed without having to worry about the threat of sexual harassment. You should not have to deal with repeated, unwanted advances from a co-worker or employer, sexual jokes or conversations that make you uncomfortable, or inappropriate physical contact. Do you believe that you may be the target of such harassment at your current workplace? The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines sexual harassment as any of the following actions:

• Unwelcome verbal conduct such as derogatory jokes, sexual advances, or invitations

• Unwelcome visual conduct such as derogatory and/or sexually-oriented photographs, e-mails, and cartoons

• Unwelcome physical conduct such as sexual assault, unwanted touching, groping, or massages, blocking normal body movement and interfering with work because of sex, race or any other protected basis

• Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued employment, or to avoid some other loss, and offers of employment benefits in return for sexual favors

If any of the above situations sound familiar to you, it is imperative that you share your concerns immediately. In cases of sexual harassment, there is a certain procedure that must be followed in order to ensure that you receive the treatment you deserve.

First, you must ask the perpetrator to stop the offensive act, preferably in writing. If the problem continues, report the problem, again in writing, to the appropriate person in the chain of command as determined by your company's human resource office. In the event that your employer ignores your complaints, it is now time to contact the EEOC or the Texas labor board. Please know that if you do not first give your employer proper notice and the opportunity to remedy the situation, you will have no recourse available through these outside channels of support.

You MUST file a complaint with the EEOC within 180 days of the harassment in order to preserve all of your rights under both Federal and Texas law. After this deadline, you have another 120 days to file under Federal law, but you will lose all protections afforded by Texas law. Once the complaint has been received, an investigation will begin and, if there is merit to your case, you will be offered the chance for a settlement or the right to move forward with litigation.

Before you begin the process of filing a complaint, you should contact an attorney who works in the area of labor and employment law. At Bertolino LLP, we have lawyers in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio who will assist you in collecting documentation, interviewing witnesses, and presenting your best possible case to the investigatory board and possibly a judge. Do not allow yourself to work under the burden of sexual harassment for another day. Contact an attorney at Bertolino LLP and take the first step in reclaiming the professional environment that you deserve.

Contact an Experienced Sexual Harassment Attorney at Bertolino LLP

At Bertolino LLP, we have labor and employment lawyers who are ready to protect your rights and prevent any future discrimination or sexual harassment. With offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, we have convenient locations to assist workers in Texas whose disabilities have unfairly become obstacles at the workplace. Please contact us today so that we can get started defending your right to work and succeed! To contact the Austin office, call 512.476.5757. For the San Antonio office, call 210.223.5553. For the Houston office, call 713.225.7474. You may also contact the Firm by e-mail.