When a sexual harassment scandal comes out, multiple victims may surface, claiming to have been harassed over the years. One of the most common responses that you see to this is people asking why no one reported anything when it happened. Why didn’t they complain then?
Additionally, many sexual harassment cases are simply never reported at all. Workers know that their rights are being violated, and they still say nothing. Why does this happen?
There are various reasons, all with their own importance
The truth is that there are many reasons people don’t say anything, starting with the fact that many workers are afraid they’ll be fired for doing so. They have bills to pay and a family to support. They’re not willing to risk accusing their boss of misconduct, even when they know it happened if they might lose their job.
Some workers also feel ashamed or assume no one will believe them. Maybe it happened in private after a supervisor asked them to stay late and work on a project. They know the supervisor will deny it, and there’s no one to provide witness testimony. There’s a sense of hopelessness, and they may just try to minimize what happened and act like it wasn’t a big deal.
What are your rights?
It’s very important to know that retaliation for a harassment claim is illegal. You cannot lose your job for making a valid claim, and being fired is another violation of your rights. You do have legal options, and you need to know exactly what they are if you have been harassed on the job.