Is sexual harassment a form of discrimination?

On Behalf of | Aug 8, 2020 | Employment Discrimination |

Florida workers like you deserve a safe space to do your work in. You have laws put in place to aid you, too. Unfortunately, not every workplace abides by these laws. This puts you in a precarious position in which discrimination may happen.

Sexual harassment is sometimes viewed as a separate issue. But did you know that forms of sexual harassment also count as discrimination?

Discrimination within sexual harassment

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission discusses all angles of discrimination at the workplace. Sexual harassment and discrimination fall into this wide umbrella. Sexual harassment is not as narrow a subject as people think. Physical sexual harassment is only one part of it. There is also verbal sexual harassment and gender-based harassment. It is often the latter that overlaps with discriminatory behavior.

For example, a coworker may have told you to “get back into the kitchen” if you are a woman. This is sexual harassment based on your sexual identity. It is also discriminatory speech. The implication is that you do not deserve to share the workspace with male colleagues.

Discriminatory beliefs and remarks

Other forms of discrimination may emerge through sexual harassment as well. Most often, it targets women in the workplace. For example, you may find colleagues making remarks about your looks and intelligence. A common form of discrimination is the belief that good-looking women are not smart. This reduces you to “eye candy” for other workers to objectify. In turn, this is often a traumatic experience for people in your position. For this reason, you may want to seek compensation for any emotional and other damages you face.

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