The Frenchman Hills Vineyard, a west-coast winery, was recently sued by the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for sexual harassment. The lawsuit alleges that a Latina worker was repeatedly harassed by the highest level manager at the vineyard. According to the suit, he isolated and intimidated her, asked her personal and crude questions, made inappropriate comments about her body, and subjected her to inappropriate touching. The harassment escalated to such a scale, that she was forced to resign. Forcing an employee to resign is known as ‘constructive termination.’

There are two basic types of sexual harassment. Both types of sexual harassment are illegal. The first type of harassment is known as quid-pro-quo harassment. ‘Quid-pro-quo’ is a Latin term meaning ‘this for that.’ This type of harassment occurs when an employer offers to trade a work related benefit for sexual favors. The second type of sexual harassment is known as the ‘hostile environment.’ Hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when a manager or co-worker engages in offensive conducts that makes an individual feel uncomfortable because of his or her sex. The conduct must also be severe or pervasive. Therefore, a manager who makes a one-time sexual joke likely is not guilty of hostile environment harassment.

If you think you may have been sexually harassed, you are not alone. Sexual harassment can involve words, inappropriate touching, unwanted sexual advances, and many other behaviors. Contact the attorneys at Law Offices of David H. Greenberg to find out if you have a claim. You can reach us at 1-888-204-1014 for a free consultation. You can also visit us at www.discriminationattorney.com to learn more. We can help you stand up for your rights.