Do I Have a Sexual Harassment Case in New York City?

More than 3,602,600 people are employed in the private sector in New York City. While the job market continues to pick up across NYC, so do reports of employment law violations. Our lawyers consult with potential workplace sexual harassment victims every day, learning the details of their claims. Our attorneys’ aim is to help those negatively affected by discrimination and harassment uncover their best legal options – and successfully resolve their claims.

Questions to ask about your potential NYC sexual harassment case

In New York, workplace sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, inappropriate sexual conduct, and physical harassment. In determining the viability of your sexual harassment case, your attorney considers many factors. Before your initial meeting with an NYC lawyer, ask yourself:

• How long did the harassment last? In many instances, a simple one-time incident may not be enough to warrant legal action. Write down a record of all the instances of harassment as best you can remember. If the one-time incident was particularly serious – such as a physical assault – you might have a viable claim.
• Was it a supervisor or co-worker who harassed me? You might still have a sexual harassment case if your harasser was not your direct boss. Co-worker harassment is illegal as well.
• Are there text messages, emails, social media posts, notes, or other hard evidence? Keep all physical and hard evidence of the harassment, so your case isn’t just “he said; she said” testimony.
• Did my employer terminate me as a result of the harassment or complaining about the harassment? Firing a person for complaining about harassment or discrimination is illegal – it’s called retaliation.
• What was the protocol for filing a sexual harassment complaint at my job? Does your company have a handbook or specific guidelines for reporting harassment and discrimination? Try to recall if you were given a copy of your company handbook.
• Did I follow all outlined complaint protocol? You are more likely to be successful if you thoroughly respected your company’s complaint policies.
• What was my employers’ response when I complained about the harassment? If your employer ignored your complaints or didn’t do enough to stop the sexual harassment, you might have a claim.

Do not hesitate to speak with a New York City sexual harassment lawyer right away if you have endured injustice at work. The Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC handles a multitude of cases that involve sexual harassment in Manhattan and the greater New York City area. For further information, please feel free to call us at 212-587-0760 or toll-free at 1-877-4NYLAWS or email at dtslaws@msn.com.