Harassment
Atlanta harassment attorney K.P. Reddy provides representation for people who have been victims of employee abuse, discrimination and other types of harassment at work. Harassment in the workplace is a serious matter. The business owner, office manager, job boss or co-worker who harasses an employee threatens that person’s livelihood, productivity, dignity and emotional well-being.
Perhaps you endure a co-worker’s offensive jokes or racial slurs about people of particular ethnic backgrounds. Maybe you fend off unwanted verbal advances from your boss as part of your daily work routine. You may be consistently passed over or left out at work because you look “too young.” Or you're teased and ridiculed about your advancing age. These situations are examples of workplace harassment, and this unethical behavior in the office or workplace is not merely unwelcome, inconvenient or upsetting.
Harassment is defined by the United States government as unlawful if:
- Enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment
- The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile or abusive
Harassment in the workplace is against the law. Specifically, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Official Code of Georgia Title 45 make workplace discrimination, which includes harassment, illegal in any aspect of employment, including:
- Hiring and firing
- Compensation, assignment or classification of employees
- Transfer, promotion, layoff or recall
- Job advertisements
- Recruitment
- Testing
- Use of company facilities
- Training and apprenticeship programs
- Fringe benefits
- Pay, retirement plans and disability leave
- Other terms and conditions of employment
Harassment is often subtle, but over time can make a victim extremely uncomfortable at work. It occurs in a variety of circumstances. Persistent harassment has an impact on everyone and every decision in a workplace.
Often, the victim of harassment is not sure at first that anything is happening at all. The victim may excuse and ignore unethical or even illegal behavior. The perpetrator may deny any conscious wrong-doing and may even try to make his or her victim look silly or paranoid for complaining.
However, harassment has serious consequences for employers. They are responsible for the ethical behavior of all employees. Employers are automatically liable for harassment by a supervisor that results in failure to promote or hire, loss of wages, termination or other negative employment action. If a supervisor's harassment results in a hostile work environment, employers can avoid liability only if there was an attempt to prevent and promptly correct harassing behavior and the victim failed to take advantage of preventive or corrective opportunities.
If you have experienced discrimination, abuse or sexual harassment in Atlanta at your workplace, The Reddy Law Firm, P.C. wants you to understand:
- It is not your fault
- It is plain wrong and may well be illegal
- It may occur without injuring you economically or causing you to lose your job
- It is a deliberate abuse of power -- this unethical behavior toward others is meant to torment and erode confidence
- No one in Atlanta or elsewhere in Georgia has to work under such conditions
There are legal remedies for your situation. The Reddy Law Firm, P.C. can help you find them and fight back against the behavior that makes you miserable and limits your productivity.
Yes, the law concerning harassment is complex and the cases are often difficult to prove. If you file an Atlanta harassment lawsuit, there are no guarantees of success. But don’t you owe it to yourself and your family to stand up for yourself? Shouldn’t you be able to fight back against unethical behavior in the workplace without losing your job and ruining your reputation? Hiring the right lawyer — one with excellent experience and the tenacity to produce the best outcome — is a great first step in reclaiming your right to peacefully earn your living with dignity.
