When Florida employees must deal with a harsh work environment, their work productivity can be greatly affected in a negative manner. Facing sexual harassment can create the type of negative atmosphere that no worker should have to encounter. Employees who feel they have been the victim of such harassment need to understand that there are options for them that could help put a stop the unwelcome actions and that they should not feel blame for being a victim.
Being able to report harassment should always be an option for someone who has been mistreated. While filing a report could have negative repercussions concerning their position, feeling safe in a work environment and possibly preventing further harassment could be considered the most important aspect. A person should not feel that they need to remain quiet about mistreatment in order to save their career.
In that same vein, a person should not feel they brought on harassment because they may have made a crude joke or a possibly sexist comment. Such actions may be done in order to feel included in workplace banter, but that does not open the door to making unwanted sexual advances acceptable. While creating personal boundaries at work can be beneficial, co-workers should respect each other and understand that a person does not have to explicitly state that sexual harassment is unwelcome to make it so.
Because certain sources can present the wrong type of information on sexual harassment, it is imperative that those who feel that have been mistreated gain the correct knowledge. Gathering information on Florida laws regarding sexual harassment in the workplace could be a prudent place to start. Workers should not feel that they must live with harassment and could possibly benefit from exploring legal options.
Source: The Huffington Post, Guardian Article Seriously Claims You Shouldn't Report Sexual Harassment At Work, Nina Bahadur, Sept. 26, 2013