Sexual harassment in the workplace can damage an individual’s career and their mental health. While they may try to overcome the obstacles they face, the impact of sexual harassment can limit their advancement opportunities or affect their confidence.
Workers facing harassment should be able to rely on their employers to act to resolve the matter without penalizing them for reporting the issue. In situations where employers do not take appropriate steps to address sexual harassment, workers may need to file lawsuits. Litigation can sometimes result in an appropriate settlement outside of court. Other times, there may be damages and relief available to the plaintiff if they prevail in civil court.
What types of damages and forms of relief are available to those who take legal action successfully against their employers because of workplace sexual harassment?
Equitable relief
A judge can issue an injunction providing several different types of relief to provide a fair resolution to those affected by workplace sexual harassment. They can sometimes require that an employer reinstate a worker terminated due to retaliation after reporting harassment.
They can also order a company to move a worker back into their previous role after a retaliatory transfer. They can order the company to provide backpay in scenarios where a worker lost their job or had reduced opportunities because of harassment or company retaliation. The courts can even order the promotion of a worker denied an opportunity because of quid pro quo harassment.
Various damages
There are a number of different types of damages that workers can recoup with a sexual harassment lawsuit. Damages for lost wages are often available if the employee lost their job after reporting harassment.
Workers can also request compensatory damages for the physical and mental health consequences of the harassment they have endured. They can request compensation for the humiliation and emotional distress they experienced. In some cases, the courts may even award a plaintiff punitive damages as a means of punishing an employer for malicious conduct or egregious negligence in managing the workplace.
Understanding how a sexual harassment lawsuit can help resolve the damage that workplace abuses cause employees may help people see the value of taking legal action. Those who demand accountability from an employer can potentially limit the long-term harm that sexual harassment causes to their health, finances and career development.