Though it isn’t discussed as much as it should be, men can absolutely be victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. In fact, a report from 2018 showed that men accounted for around one in five complaints about workplace sexual harassment in the United States.
One man described his experience. He claims that the harassment started out as a game. The other person, one of the only others in the building with him, continued until it was no longer a joke. He filed a lawsuit against his employer for allowing the harassment to continue.
In a poll from CNBC, 10% of men polled reported being victims of some kind of sexual misconduct or harassment at work. Around one out of five went on to state that they had filed complaints with the EEOC.
What causes harassing behaviors in the workplace?
There can be a few reasons why people sexually harass others in the workplace. One reason is because of a desire to have power over them. Another is because of an actual sexual desire for that person and an intention to pursue them.
Regardless of the reason, sexual harassment has no place in a work environment. If you are sexually harassed, it’s important that you speak up. You should go to your Human Resources department to discuss possible solutions. If nothing happens or you are retaliated against for filing a claim, it’s important that you continue pushing to have the case resolved. You don’t deserve to have to work in a hostile environment where you have to worry about sexual harassment.