Des Moines Sexual Harassment Lawyers

Understanding Workplace Sexual Harassment in Des Moines

Workplace sexual harassment takes many forms, from overt actions to more subtle behaviors, all of which can undermine an employee’s dignity and create a hostile work environment.

These include the following.

• Physical harassment
  • Unwanted touching: Any physical contact without consent, such as hugging, patting, stroking, or brushing against another’s body.
  • Groping: Intentional touching of private body areas, including attempts to grab.
  • Cornering or blocking movement: Restricting someone’s ability to move freely to intimidate or make advances. 
• Verbal harassment
  • Sexual advances: Making unwelcome propositions or requests for sexual favors.
  • Suggestive comments or questions: Comments about someone’s body, appearance, or attire in a sexual way or asking invasive questions about their sexual experiences or preferences.
  • Sexual jokes or stories: Sharing crude, explicit sexual jokes or unnecessarily recounting personal sexual experiences.
  • Derogatory language: Using demeaning or explicit remarks aimed at someone’s gender or sexual orientation.
  • Spreading rumors: Circulating false or personal rumors about someone’s sexual behavior or relationships.
• Non-verbal harassment
  • Explicit displays or gestures: Making inappropriate gestures like winking, licking lips, or gesturing toward body parts.
  • Staring or leering: Persistent, unwanted gazing that makes someone uncomfortable.
  • Sharing explicit materials: Showing or distributing pornography, explicit videos, or inappropriate images in person or via digital platforms.
• Digital or written harassment
  • Unsolicited messages: Sending graphic texts, emails, or social media messages containing sexual content or innuendos.
  • Sharing sexual content: Using the workplace communication channels to share explicit memes, images, or jokes.
  • Harassing comments online: Posting inappropriate comments on colleagues’ social media platforms.
• Subtle or coercive harassment
  • Persistent unwelcome attention: Constantly contacting, following, or engaging with someone after they’ve expressed disinterest.
  • Quid Pro Quo: Offering promotions or job favors in exchange for sexual acts or threatening professional consequences for refusing advances.
  • Disrespecting boundaries: Using someone’s boundaries as a joke or pushing them with persistent innuendo or flirtation.
  • Power imbalance exploitation: Using one’s role or authority to pressure someone into uncomfortable personal situations.
• Workplace culture-related harassment
  • Sexual hazing: Initiating new employees or colleagues in a way that involves inappropriate sexual behaviors.
  • Hostile work environment: Creating a workplace atmosphere filled with sexualized conversations, jokes, or other inappropriate content that makes everyone uncomfortable.
• Indirect harassment
  • Exposing others: Forcing someone to see or hear inappropriate content, such as pornographic material left in the open.
  • Exclusion based on gender or orientation: Ostracizing someone due to their gender identity or sexuality through direct or implied behavior.