Sexual Harassment in the Tech Industry - Silicon Valley Sexual Harassment Lawyers

Sexual Harassment in the Tech Industry: What You Need to Know

 

Sexual harassment in the tech industry is a lot more common than you think—some studies have shown that about 60 percent of all the women in the field have experienced unwanted sexual advances.

Thirty-nine percent of the women in that study didn’t report the harassment because they were afraid it would hurt their careers. Of the remaining women who did report the harassment, 60 percent were unsatisfied with the results.

While that study is focused on women, men experience sexual harassment in the tech industry, as well; in fact, the tech field has an abysmal record of this type of workplace abuse.

Sexual Harassment in the Tech IndustryThe statistics are difficult to deal with. Nearly a third of women in tech fields have received or witnessed unwanted physical contact in the past year, and nearly half experienced or witnessed it in the last five years.

The tech industry has worse statistics than any other industry represented, including male-dominated fields such as finance and energy.

If you’ve been sexually harassed while working in the tech industry in Glendale, Los Angeles, or the surrounding communities, you could have legal recourse against the person who committed the harassment or, in some cases, your employer.

Sexual Harassment in the Tech Industry

In order for a victim of sexual harassment to have legal recourse—which means to be able to take the offender or the employer to court, and in some cases, receive financial compensation—the harassment usually has to take fall into one of two categories (or both): quid pro quo or hostile work environment.

Quid Pro Quo Harassment in the Tech Industry

Quid pro quo literally means this for that. It’s a form of sexual harassment that hinges on favors, like promotions, raises, or positive performance reviews. Sometimes there are negative consequences for rejecting a supervisor’s favors, too; people have been fired, demoted, or given poor performance reviews for turning down advances in quid pro quo sexual harassment.

If this has happened to you, you may need to talk to a sexual harassment lawyer in Glendale right away. It’s against the law for a supervisor to sexually harass an employee—and for the supervisor or employer to force an employee to accept negative consequences for rejecting harassment.

Related: Quid pro quo sexual harassment

Hostile Work Environment Harassment in the Tech Industry

Unfortunately, hostile work environment harassment is too common in the tech field. There are a few criteria that must be met for this type of harassment to occur, including:

  • The harassment must be gender-based, which means you experienced it because of your gender.
  • The harassment must include unwelcome conduct. That doesn’t mean you objected to it while it was happening, though; even if you didn’t object because you feared for your job (or you just wanted to make it through the day), you may still have a case if the conduct was unwelcome.
  • The harassment must be something that would offend a reasonable person.
  • The harassment must be severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment.

Related: Hostile work environments

The Bottom Line on Sexual Harassment in the Tech Industry

Many victims feel like they have to go along with the harassment in order to keep their jobs, but they shouldn’t have to.

Sexual harassment, whether it occurs in California’s booming tech industry or in any other industry, is against the law. Victims are protected and, in many cases, can even seek financial compensation to help offset the costs associated with losing a job.

Related: Quid pro quo harassment examples

Do You Need to Talk to a Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Glendale?

If you’ve experienced sexual harassment in the tech industry, whether you still work in the same company or you’ve moved on, we may be able to help you.

Call us at 818-617-9712 or contact us online to tell us about your situation. We’ll begin developing a legal strategy—and provide you with case-specific legal advice designed to help you.


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