What sexual harassment laws protect employees from certain actions by their supervisors?

Las Vegas, NV – Sexual harassment laws exist for the purpose of protecting workers from having to deal with illegal discrimination that is based on gender or sex while they are trying to work. In many cases, an employee is harassed by the supervisor or boss, although it is also possible that sexual harassment can happen between employees with the same authority level in the company, or from customers in certain professions. Anyone who has been mistreated at work and may need to file a sexual harassment lawsuit should get in touch with an attorney. 

Quid pro quo harassment

The most well known type of sexual harassment in Nevada and other states is when a manager, supervisor, or someone else in a position of authority in a company requests sexual behavior in exchange for benefits, employment, or to avoid punishment. This is sometimes called quid pro quo harassment. While this situation is most well known when male bosses mistreat their female subordinates, it is possible that the victim and the harasser can be of any gender. It can also happen to someone who is not yet an employee if their job offer is contingent on them accepting such advances. 

Sexual harassment laws

There are federal sexual harassment laws that protect all workers. In most cases, the harassment in question either needs to be persistent or severe to be legally actionable. An isolated minor incident would likely not rise to the level of legally actionable harassment. 

Under those laws, the scenario described above would be a clear cut case of sexual harassment because the employee is forced into a position where they need to engage in some kind of sexual act to avoid further mistreatment. 

Compensation for victims

Like in other civil cases, the victim is allowed to ask for certain types of compensation after filing a lawsuit. These amounts are related to finding new employment if necessary, lost income and wages, or even psychiatric treatment if the victim was traumatized. The specific compensation available in each case depends on the type of harm inflicted on the victim and the severity of the employer’s conduct. The company also cannot retaliate against the victim for taking legal action through a lawsuit. 

Sexual harassment laws also list damage caps based on the size of the employer that limit the total amount of compensation for the victim. This means that a victim can potentially recover a larger sum of money if they work for a larger company.

More information from a legal professional in Nevada

USAttorneys.com is a site that lists lawyers throughout the country. Anyone who needs to contact a sexual harassment lawyer in Las Vegas can browse the site to find a local licensed attorney.