Author: NY lawyer Alena Shautsova
As life shows, a person can become victim of sexual harassment at any place: big or large firm, private or public sector. Recent news on the subject just prove the point read the story here.
Frequently, victims do not go forward against their employers being afraid of scandals, future retaliation and gossips. Knowing that a person has to be considered an employee, often employers insist that the worker was a contractor trying to avoid liability. Unfortunately for the employers, in most situations, the test which is used to qualify a worker as an “employee” is a liberal one, and not only the employer will be responsible for his/her actions that went in discord with Human Rights laws, such an employer will face Tax evasion liability as well.
Traditionally, sexual harassment can take two forms: hostile work environment, and a quid pro quo harassment. Often, those two types are intermixed.
The sexual harassment allegations were subject of the recent lawsuit by police Officer Veronica Schultz.