It is very important to go over examples of sex-based harassment and take action if you experience this mistreatment at your place of employment. Whether you are a man or a woman, sex-based harassment could affect you, and this harassment can take different forms. In addition, you should also take a look at statistics regarding sex-based harassment in order to understand how prevalent these violations are across the country.
Unfortunately, sex-based harassment continues to impact workers in various fields, and some do not have the confidence to come forward or they worry that nobody will listen to them. Sometimes, workers do not realize that certain challenges they have endured in the workplace are illegal.
Sex-based harassment charge data
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that more than 10,000 sex-based harassment charges arose over the course of fiscal year 2021. During fiscal year 2020, 11,497 such charges arose. In fact, between fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2019, more than 12,000 sex-based harassment charges arose each year.
It is also important to realize that this data does not include charges filed with Fair Employment Practice Agencies at the local or state level.
Examples of sex-based harassment
Sex-based harassment includes sexual harassment, such as a supervisor requesting sexual favors or physically harassing a worker. It also includes harassment that is not sexual in nature, such as offensive comments regarding a worker’s sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. Although minor, isolated incidents do not always constitute illegal harassment, the law prohibits repeated harassment resulting in adverse employment decisions (such as the termination of your job) or a hostile work environment.