The Texas sexual harassment lawyers at Moore & Associates help victims seek justice and compensation following incidents of workplace sexual harassment, sexual assault, unwanted sexual advances, and retaliation. Sexual harassment can be traumatic and devastating. You might find yourself unable to focus while at work or may have even had to leave a job because the sexual harassment was so serious. Some victims of sexual harassment even face retaliation when they report incidents to human resources or management, with some workers losing their jobs or standing in a company simply for reporting sexual harassment. Some workplaces have a culture that encourages or permits sexual harassment to occur.
Reporting an incident of sexual harassment can require immense courage. If you are suffering from sexual harassment on the job, you are not alone and you don’t have to navigate the process on your own. Many victims fail to report sexual harassment or hesitate to report incidents because they fear retaliation or a damaged reputation. Patriarchal cultural ideas and toxic workplace environments can create a hostile work environment that promotes victim shaming and victim blaming.
If you have been a victim of sexual harassment, you are not alone. The Texas sexual harassment lawyers at Moore & Associates are here to help you. We can evaluate the nature of your case, help you navigate the process of making a harassment claim, and may be able to help you seek damages and compensation for any losses you might have suffered as a result.
How Does Texas Law Define Sexual Harassment?
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.” Harassment can also include offensive remarks about a person’s sex or gender. Both women and men can be perpetrators of sexual harassment and both women and men can be victims. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission notes that for an incident to be considered sexual harassment it must be frequent or severe. However, in September 1 2021, Texas released a new sexual harassment law that clarifies the definition of what constitutes sexual harassment, expands the statute of limitations (time limit on how long an employee has to report sexual harassment), expands the definition of who is considered an employer, expands the potentially liable parties in a sexual harassment lawsuit to include supervisors, managers, human resource professionals, or any other third party who works on behalf of an employer, and increases the standards for actions an employer must take if the employer believes sexual harassment is taking place or if sexual harassment is reported.
Definition of Sexual Harassment Under Texas Law
Under the SB 45, sexual harassment is defined as “an unwelcome sexual advance, a request for a sexual favor, or any other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature” where such a request is “made a term or condition of an individual’s employment, either explicitly or implicitly” or where such a request is used as the basis for a decision affecting the person’s employment, or where such a request unreasonably interferes with a person’s work performance, or where such a request creates an “intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.” If you believe you are a victim of sexual harassment or have been a victim of sexual harassment, you may have the right to report the harassment and receive compensation for your losses. The Texas sexual harassment lawyers at Moore & Associates are here to help you. We can review your situation and help you understand whether it falls under the definition of sexual harassment under Texas law.
Expanded Statute of Limitations
Before the new Texas sexual harassment law went into effect, employees had only 120 days to make a sexual harassment claim with the Texas Workforce Commission. Under the new law, employees have up to 300 days to make a sexual harassment claim with the Texas Workforce Commission. If you need assistance making a sexual harassment claim with the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas sexual harassment lawyers at Moore & Associates may be able to assist you.
Expanded Definition of Who Counts as an Employer
Texas’s new laws governing sexual harassment claims expand the definition of who counts as an employer and who can be named in a sexual harassment claim. The new law extends the potential liability to individuals and third parties and expands the definition of employer to any company that hires any number of employees. Individuals can also be named on a sexual harassment claim if they act in the interests of an employer. This includes human resources personnel, supervisors, other employees, and third parties acting for an employer. This means that your Texas sexual harassment lawyer at Moore & Associates may be able to make a claim against individuals responsible for your harassment and prevent your employer from turning your state sexual harassment claim into a federal claim. This may have benefits for sexual harassment victims because of the added protections under Texas law.
Contact the Texas Sexual Harassment Lawyers at Moore & Associates today!
If you have suffered sexual harassment, Moore & Associates is a sexual harassment law firm in Texas that may be able to assist you in identifying and naming harassers in your claim.
Responsibility of Employers to Respond to Complaints
Texas law also requires employers to take action if they know or should have known that sexual harassment might have been taking place. If employers fail to take immediate or correct actions following a sexual harassment report or claim, they may be in violation of the law. If your employer failed to act following your report of sexual harassment or if you believe you were retaliated against, fired, or suffered setbacks in your career because of sexual harassment, you may have the right to fight back. The Texas workplace sexual harassment lawyers at Moore & Associates are here to help you. We can review what happened, what you reported, and take a look at actions your employer took after. If you have a case, we may be able to help you seek damages or make a claim.
Texas’s new sexual harassment law expands protections for employees and puts a greater burden on employers to take action when sexual harassment takes place or gets reported. If you were a victim of sexual harassment, the sexual harassment lawyers in Texas at Moore & Associates may be able to help you. Our sexual harassment law firm works closely with victims to help them seek justice.
Damages in Texas Sexual Harassment Claims
What are some of the damages you may be able to collect in a sexual harassment claim? Individuals may be able to collect a wide range of damages. These include:
- Lost Wages. Lost wages can include wages lost if you had to leave a job or were wrongfully terminated for reporting sexual harassment. It can include lost pay raises you might have been entitled to receive for refusing sexual advances in quid pro quo situations (that is, a situation where an employer demands sexual favors in exchange for ongoing employment or advancement). It can also include lost benefits, retirement or pension losses, and stock options you missed out on because of sexual harassment.
- Legal Costs. If you hire the sexual harassment lawyers in Texas at Moore & Associates, and we win your case, we may be able to include your legal fees in your settlement.
- Other Damages. If you had to seek counseling or medical care because of emotional distress or trauma resulting from sexual harassment or sexual assault on the job, you may be able to seek damages to cover these expenses. If you suffered damages due to lost reputation or damage to your career or standing in your profession because of sexual harassment, you may also be entitled to seek damages for these losses.
These are just some of the damages you may be able to collect if you have suffered losses due to sexual harassment on the job. Sexual harassment can have a major impact on a person’s career, quality of life, peace of mind, and more. If you have suffered sexual harassment, you may want to reach out to the workplace sexual harassment attorney at Moore & Associates today. Calculating damages from a sexual harassment claim can sometimes be complicated. The Texas workplace sexual harassment lawyers at Moore & Associates may be able to assist you.
Contact a Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Texas Today
Sexual harassment law has recently changed in Texas. If you were a victim of workplace sexual harassment, you may have more rights than ever and greater ability to make a sexual harassment claim. The sexual harassment lawyer in Texas at Moore & Associates works closely with victims to help them seek justice and hold their abusers and harassers accountable. When victims speak up, they can change workplace culture and fight back against toxic workplace culture. In some cases, all it takes is one person speaking up for others to come forward. If you believe you were a victim of sexual harassment on the job, reach out to the Texas sexual harassment attorneys at Moore & Associates today.
