Janitors express Sexual Harassment Concerns
California – The state of California maintains a high volume of janitor employees. An enormous part of those employees are immigrants who work diligently to provide a better life for their families. Although employees attempt to complete their shift comfortably and return home, sexual harassment and sexual assault has become significant issues in the workplace.
Sexual harassment can range from sexual joking to criminal sexual conduct. Either way an individual examines the situation, it’s morally wrong and illegal in the workplace. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination, which the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prohibits in the workplace through the federal law, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Over the past months, janitors employed in California have been fighting for authorities to rectify their major work-related issue, sexual harassment. This illegal issue needs more than internal help from a boss or an employer considering some of the individuals on the managerial staff could allegedly be responsible for the existence of sexual harassment at work. The janitors need the help of the law.
Janitors have spent countless hours displaying what their work culture is like on the daily basis. Some of their actions placed them in custody for a minor offense such as disrupting traffic, so their voices can be heard. Employees should not have to work so hard to receive help with sexual harassment. If your employer refuses to listen to you and take action immediately, you should contact a reliable sexual harassment attorney for legal guidance.
In addition to fighting for better work conditions, some janitors decided to fast on behalf of individuals who survived sexual harassment and sexual assault. Major boards were also displayed to show other individuals how harsh working conditions have a negative impact on employees, especially immigrants who fear deportation. Fear might initially cause an employee to be silent, but an opportunity to receive justice with the assistance of a sexual harassment attorney can increase the volume of employee’s voice.
Each janitor took action in order to attain preventative measures for sexual harassment. Similar to most individuals who want sexual harassment and sexual assault to disappear in the workplace, the janitors aimed to land their message in front of Governor Jerry Brown, so he can execute their plan. Recently, janitors were able to conclude their fasting period and rejoice since the governor “signed the bill into state law.” Janitors were overwhelmed with joy after their voices were heard and the state agreed to protect them in the future.
What can Janitors expect in the Future?
An investigation titled, Rape on the Night Shift, played a key role in the governor’s decision to sign the bill. After the investigation, janitors can expect janitor firms to be added throughout California, which will track internal activities in the workplace, and monitor work related misconduct and violations including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and wage and hour violations. A sexual harassment training program will be added to the workplace for all janitorial employees. Several parties including the janitorial union and state officials will assist with innovating an effective sexual harassment training program. New plans will also be added to union contracts based on a sexual harassment survey.
Workplace Misconduct revealed in Survey
Another factor, a workplace misconduct survey, helped the state realize how important the bill is to a large amount of employees. According to the survey conducted by the Service Employees International Union-United States Workers West to request information from “members in early 2016,” sexual harassment is present. The survey received nearly 5,000 respondents. A quarter of the respondents disclosed they were a victim to some form of sexual harassment and/or violence. Sexual harassment is on the short list of major concerns according to the janitors.
The purpose of implementing new changes in the workplace, is to help janitors, especially the employees who work night shifts, open up about a secret they have been keeping for a long time. It may or may not have been their preference to keep quiet about sexual harassment for various reasons such as fear, loss wages, and shame. However, a new path has been provided in the event janitors need additional support. Individuals who have suffered from sexual harassment for decades by supervisors or co-workers no longer have to worry.
How can we help?
Sexual harassment in the workplace is a growing issue all around the world. It’s not limited to California. Assistance with resolving and/or escaping the problem is hard to find when victims are unaware of what they should be looking for. If you feel you have been the victim of workplace discrimination or sexual harassment in New York City, Miami, New Jersey or Philadelphia or if your employment rights have been violated, call us at 800-807-2209 for a free consultation to discuss your possible claim. Our attorneys are available to review your claims and prepare a solid case to recover the damages and justice you deserved.
