SEX DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Media headlines still largely feature sex discrimination and sexual harassment at the workplace. According to recent Un Women UK studies, 97% of women have experienced some kind of sex discrimination or sexual harassment; so, what should you do if you find yourself engaged in this kind of behaviour at work? 

Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment: Who Is Protected?

Employee, job seekers, trainees, even Company Directors are protected from sex discrimination and harassment by their companies in the workplace. The partnership covers all aspect. For example, even if they never really worked there, someone who experiences discrimination during recruitment can claim anything against the possible company.

How Do You Know If You Have Suffered Sex Discrimination or Sexual Harassment?

The Equality Act 2010 specifies several situations in which an employer’s treatment of a person based on their gender is illegal. In essence, if any of the following have happened, you have probably experienced sexual harassment or discrimination based on your sex. In particular,

Straight Discrimination

This is the reason you have been treated less favourably than someone of another gender would have been treated—because of your sex. For instance, if female workers were expected to show up to the workplace but all of the male workers could work from home.

Indirect discrimination

Here is where the company has a policy, process, or similar that seems to apply to everyone but actually negatively affects members of a specific gender. Height rules and limits, for instance, would disproportionately affect more women than men.

Harassment Based on Sexuality

Here is the area when someone exhibits unwelcome behaviour that disturbs, humiliates, or offend their surroundings. Things include jokes and negative remarks directed against colleagues based on gender.

Harassment in Sexual Matters

This is unwelcome sexual behavior aimed at breaching someone’s dignity or generating for them threatening, hostile, demeaning, humiliating, or offensive surroundings. Sexual harassment might include things like remarks on someone’s attire, conjecture on their personal connections, invasion of personal space etc.

On the other hand, this kind of harassment could also result in negative treatment suffered due to a rejection to accept a relationship with the harasser. Situations like workplace bullying after a personal relationship is refused would be sexual harassment. A sexual harassment lawyer can counsel you and direct you in the right direction in terms of legalities.

This is unwelcome sexual behavior aimed at breaching someone’s dignity or generating for them threatening, hostile, demeaning, humiliating, or offensive surroundings.

What Are The Time Limits For Claims Of Sex Discrimination or Sexual Harassment?

Should your company still discriminate against you based on your gender or if the sexual harassment has not been appropriately handled, you could have to think about filing a claim to the Employment Tribunal. Three months less one day from the last act or incidence of discrimination or harassment will allow you to start the ACAS Early Conciliation process. The dates of your ACAS Early Conciliation will determine the deadlines for turning in your Employment Tribunal claim. But starting the ACAS Early Conciliation process inside the three-month timeframe is crucial since failing to do so could cause your claim to be lost of time.