The Illinois Hammer
Workplace Sexual Harassment Lawyer
No one should have to experience a hostile workplace, but sexual harassment is unfortunately common. Workplace sexual harassment can impact your mental health, safety, economic security, and potential career advancement. It also disproportionately affects women, contributing to a gender gap in leadership. The right workplace harassment lawyer can help protect your right to feel safe at work.
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Content Reviewed by: Bradley Dworkin
Last Date Modified
- April 18, 2025
- What Is Workplace Sexual Harassment In Illinois?
- The Illinois Hammer Is Here To Help
- Steps To Take If You’re Being Sexually Harassed At Your Workplace
- What Damages Can I Sue My Employer For in a Workplace Sexual Harassment Case?
- Common FAQs About Workplace Sexual Harassment
- If You’ve Been Sexually Harassed at Your Place of Work, We’re Here To Help You.
More than one-third of female workers have reported experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, and a similar number of those women said it disrupted their careers. If you’ve been sexually harassed at work, The Illinois Hammer Injury Attorneys are here to help. Contact us online or call today for a free consultation.
What Is Workplace Sexual Harassment In Illinois?
Both Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Illinois Human Rights Act protect employees from workplace sexual harassment. Workplace sexual harassment generally involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Under federal and Illinois law, there are two forms of sexual harassment: hostile work environment and quid pro quo.
A hostile work environment arises when severe or pervasive sexual behavior substantially interferes with an employee’s ability to work safely and effectively. Conduct that could create a hostile work environment includes sexually explicit jokes, unwanted comments about an employee’s appearance or sexuality, repeated slurs, inappropriate physical gestures, text messages or emails of a sexual nature, and sexual advances.
Quid pro quo sexual harassment arises when an individual in a position of power promises—implicitly or explicitly—to make positive or negative employment decisions about an employee based on whether they’ll accept sexual advances. For example, a supervisor promising special treatment to a worker in exchange for participating in sex acts can be considered quid pro quo sexual harassment.
Examples of Workplace Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment can come in many forms. Unwanted advances can be physical, verbal, visual, emotional, or behavioral and can even occur outside the office or scheduled work hours.
The following are some examples of workplace sexual harassment:
- A manager promises to fast-track an intern for a full-time position while making unwanted sexual advances, implying that he will provide special treatment if she agrees.
- A co-worker frequently makes crass jokes about an employee’s sexuality and continues even after the employee tells him that the comments make him uncomfortable.
- An employee politely declines her co-worker’s invitation to dinner, but he continues to make romantic advances despite her refusals.
- An employee tells a supervisor that her comments about his physical appearance make him uncomfortable. The supervisor backs off but then begins giving the employee unfavorable assignments and eventually targets him for layoffs.
The Illinois Hammer Is Here To Help
With more than 30 years of experience in personal injury law, our team has the resources, skills, and knowledge to handle your workplace sexual harassment claim and maximize your recovery. We’re committed to helping our clients get justice and will fight relentlessly to win you the compensation you deserve.
Our case results include more than $500 million in verdicts and settlements recovered for our clients, with a 97 percent success rate. We have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, a 10/10 rating on AVVO, and multiple team members among the five percent of Illinois attorneys rated by Super Lawyers.
Junior Partner Andrea Torgrimson is our go-to attorney for workplace sexual harassment cases. Andrea is dedicated to helping those in need and is incredibly passionate about getting justice for her clients.
We serve clients across Illinois, offering home and hospital visits if necessary. We don’t charge any fees unless we win your case, and we offer a 30-day Client Satisfaction Guarantee, allowing you to take your case elsewhere without commitment if you’re unhappy with our services.
Steps To Take If You’re Being Sexually Harassed At Your Workplace
If you’re experiencing sexual harassment at your workplace, your first step is to know and understand your employers’ sexual harassment reporting policy. It is important that you report the alleged harassment in accordance with your employer’s policy including who the harassment should be reported to and how it should be reported. Next, begin taking detailed notes immediately after any incidents. Keeping records of your experiences can help back up your claims later.
Gather any other documentation that helps establish the misconduct, such as communications or witness statements. Before filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or exploring any legal options, report your experiences to your company’s human resources department. This report will create a paper trail and give your employer an opportunity to address the issue.
If the harassment persists, our dedicated attorneys can help you make a complaint with relevant agencies and pursue legal action. Retaliation for reporting harassment is illegal, so if you face any negative consequences at work after making a complaint, take notes and discuss further action with your lawyer.
What Damages Can I Sue My Employer For in a Workplace Sexual Harassment Case?
Workplace harassment victims can seek compensation for various damages, including lost wages and compensation for emotional distress. Making the victim whole can also include restoring them to their previous position or other employment actions.
Employers can also face punitive damages for particularly egregious behavior in extreme cases.
Common FAQs About Workplace Sexual Harassment
What If the Sexual Harassment I Experienced Isn’t an Example Listed Above?
Workplace sexual harassment can come in many forms. If your experiences don’t fit any of our examples, you may still be eligible to pursue a claim. Our workplace sexual harassment attorneys can help you understand your legal options.
What If My Employer Retaliates Against Me for Reporting Harassment?
Under federal law, it is illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who report harassment. If you experience retaliation, our workplace harassment lawyers can help you file a complaint with the EEOC and pursue legal action.
How Is Sex Discrimination Different from Sexual Harassment?
Under federal law, sexual harassment is considered a form of discrimination prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Sex discrimination is a broader term that includes any discriminatory actions or policies based on an individual’s sex, including employment decisions based on pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
What Is Quid Pro Quo Workplace Harassment?
Quid pro quo sexual harassment is when someone in a position of power uses their ability to make employment decisions to coerce a subordinate into sexual activity. This type of harassment involves soliciting sexual favors or conduct with an implicit or stated offer of preferential treatment or the threat of punishment.
What Is a Hostile Work Environment?
A hostile work environment is a workplace where harassment impacts an employee’s ability to work safely, comfortably, and efficiently. A workplace becomes hostile when the employer tolerates or ignores severe or pervasive unwanted or abusive behavior, forcing workers to endure toxic conduct or consider leaving their jobs.
How Much Does a Harassment Lawyer Cost?
Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency, meaning they won’t charge you any fees unless they win your case. Our team uses a contingency fee structure, so we don’t get paid until you do. Our representation costs nothing out of your pocket and can help you win the recovery you deserve.
How Is Harassment Proven?
Workplace harassment can be proven through evidence like notes, communications, recordings, witness testimony, or other documentation.
If You’ve Been Sexually Harassed at Your Place of Work, We’re Here To Help You.
If you’re experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, we know that balancing your mental health, safety, and financial security is more than enough stress. Our workplace harassment attorneys are dedicated to giving you one less thing to worry about while fighting relentlessly to get you the justice you deserve.
Call us today at 888-742-6637 to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how our team of experienced harassment lawyers can help you.
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