Sexual Harassment in New Jersey

Cahn & Parra with over 100 years of combined experience is one of New Jerseys preeminent Employment law firms. The focus of our law firm is employment litigation. You need to know your rights and be protected if you are subject of… Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment in the workplace is prohibited by both State and Federal law. In addition, an employee who feels that they have been victimized by any harassment has the absolute right to file a Complaint with their local police department. In situations where an individual was subject to harassment, assault, or unwanted sexual contact, that individual is protected not only by our State and Federal Civil Rights statutes, but by our State Criminal Code. Most companies have a-sexual harassment policy. Most companies that are large enough to have a Human Resources Department will have an employee responsible for investigating complaints of sexual harassment.

There are essentially two types of sexual harassment protected by our State and Federal laws:

Hostile-work environment sexual harassment:

This type of harassment occurs when an employee is subject to unwelcome sexual advances or behavior. This conduct can be either physical or verbal. A hostile-work environment may exist when these unwelcome actions are severe enough to change the conditions of an employee’s workplace. Essentially, any type of unwanted sexual harassment that interferes with an employee’s ability to function in the workplace is unlawful and should be protected by State and Federal law. In New Jersey, the Law Against Discrimination (N.J.S.A. 10:5-1) protects employees from sexual harassment and/or gender-based discrimination.

Quid pr quo sexual harassment:

This type of harassment occurs when an employer, manager, or supervisor places terms and conditions of an employees employment on the return of sexual favors. The typical scenario in this type of case involves promising an individual a raise, promotion, or continued employment if they agree to engage in a sexual relationship with the boss or supervisor. This type of conduct is also prohibited and protected in New Jersey by the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (N.J.S.A. 10:5-1)

In addition, the victim of sexual harassment may be either a man or a woman. New Jersey also recognizes same-sex sexual harassment. An employee is protected from sexual harassment by their supervisor, manager, co-workers, or even a non-employee working within the employee’s workplace. In addition, the Law Against Discrimination protects any employee who reports a claim of sexual harassment or is a witness in a claim of sexual harassment from any type of retaliatory action on the part of their employer.

Anyone who is the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace should immediately report this conduct to their manager, supervisor, or Human Resources Department. If, based on the circumstances of the case, they are unable to report this conduct to some responsible person in the workplace, the complaint should be made to the local police department. In addition, an employee can file a complaint with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, the Division of Civil Rights, or with the Equal Employment Opportunity Center (EEOC). The contact information for all of these agencies can be found in this website.

Cahn & Parra, LLC – Experienced, Professional & Aggressive Attorneys Fighting for Your Rights
At Cahn & Parra we fight against all forms of sexual harassment. A leader among New Jersey & Pennsylvania employment law firms, we have worked on cases that have improved employment law rights for employees.

Our success is derived from the aggressive, dedicated representation we provide to each client. If you have suffered sexual harassment, contact us immediately at (732)650-0444 let the attorneys of Cahn & Parra with over 100 Years Experience help get you the Compensation you DESERVE

Our offices are located in Edison, NJ and Allentown, PA