What should I do if I feel I have been the victim of workplace sexual harassment?

In workplace sexual harassment cases, it is important that you document everything that has happened to make you feel uncomfortable based upon sex. If the harassment takes place face-to-face, it is important to keep a detailed log outlining what happened and who was involved, along with the dates, times and locations of the incidents. Save any written correspondence of a sexual nature, including emailed jokes and photos. It can also be important to get testimonials from anyone else who may have witnessed the harassing behavior. When you report the incident to a supervisor, also be sure to keep copies of any materials you have submitted and document the interaction with your supervisor or human resources department. In many cases, the response of human resources or a supervisor can be insufficient to stop the sexual harassment, meaning that you will need this evidence going forward.

What happens if I report the sexual harassment, but no one takes any steps to stop or prevent the harassment from occurring?

Call an experienced sexual harassment lawyer to help pursue further action to stop the harassment. Our lawyers can help you file a claim with the equal employment opportunity commission (EEOC), which is the next step toward protecting your right to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace. The EEOC is then charged with conducting an investigation into what happened in your case and determining whether a financial settlement may be appropriate.

Hartman, Chartered/

Employment Law/

Sexual Harassment

New Jersey Workplace Sexual Harassment Lawyers

Work Sexual Harassment Attorneys in Moorestown, NJ: Harassing Harassment Out of the Workplace with a Harbinger of Hope in Legal Advocacy in Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey

Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, one of the most common forms of workplace harassment that takes place in Burlington County and elsewhere in New Jersey. Despite the detailed legal framework that has been enacted to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and the significant media coverage of high-profile sexual harassment cases in recent years, workplace sexual harassment continues to proliferate and should not be tolerated. If you have been the victim of workplace sexual harassment, you do not have to tolerate that harassment in your work environment and should understand that you have a legal right to a safe and comfortable workplace.

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our experienced employment lawyers take cases involving sexual harassment extremely seriously. No person should be forced to endure harassment of a sexual nature in the workplace, which is why we are passionate about protecting our clients who have been victimized because of their sex or sexual orientation. We understand that sexual harassment can be difficult for the victim to discuss, and our compassionate lawyers offer a secure space for you to discuss the issues you are facing. While it can be difficult to stand up for your rights in these cases, our lawyers are here to take on the work of advocating on your behalf throughout the entire process. Call or contact us today to discuss possible options for protecting your right to be free from workplace sexual harassment.

Establishing a Sexual Harassment Claim in New Jersey

New Jersey Workplace Sexual Harassment Lawyers

New Jersey law prohibits all forms of sexual harassment in the workplace—whether it is a supervisor, subordinate, co-worker or customer who is the person doing the harassing. Sexual harassment can take on many forms, and commonly includes:

Unwelcome sexual advances
Demeaning comments based on sex
Seemingly positive comments of a sexual nature
Intrusive questions about your sexual preferences, history or relationships
Threats of sexual abuse
Repeated sexual jokes that make you feel uncomfortable
Requests for sexual favors in exchange for workplace advancement
Unwelcome physical contact of a sexual nature

In some cases, simply reporting the incident to a supervisor or telling the perpetrator that his or her actions have made you feel uncomfortable can be sufficient to resolve the issue so that you no longer have to fear to enter a sexually charged workplace. In other cases, more aggressive action may be required.

Attorneys Hartman, Chartered Vigorously Advocate for Victims of Sexual Harassment in Haddonfield, NJ

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, we are dedicated in our fight to advocate on behalf of victims of sexual harassment of all kind. Under New Jersey law, sexual harassment in the workplace generally falls into the category of quid pro quo harassment or a hostile work environment, as follows:

Quid pro quo sexual harassment. In quid pro quo sexual harassment cases, employment or career advancement opportunities, such as opportunities for promotion or a raise, may be conditioned on the performance of sexual favors. In the alternative, punishment or retaliation may be threatened for failure to provide sexual favors. Most quid pro quo cases involve harassment by a person in a position of power over the victim.
Hostile work environment sexual harassment. Sexual harassment that comes in the form of a hostile work environment often occurs over an extended period of time. When unwelcome sexual commentary, jokes or physical contact of a sexual nature occurs repeatedly in the workplace and interfere with your work, that activity can create a hostile environment that is actionable. Even if the commentary is supposedly of a positive nature, a hostile work environment can still arise. An employer can be held responsible if the employer knew of the harassment and failed to take adequate steps to correct the situation.

Regardless of the type of sexual harassment you have experienced, our skilled lawyers will compile and analyze all available evidence necessary to document the harassment so that you can get the compensation that you deserve.

Schedule a Free Initial Consultation with Experienced Workplace Sexual Harassment Lawyers in Voorhees Today

Workplace sexual harassment can be overt and obvious in some cases, but many victims of hostile work environment sexual harassment may be uncertain whether the activity rises to the level of actionable harassment. If you feel that you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, the odds are that your instincts are correct. To get more information and discuss your case with our experienced workplace sexual harassment lawyers, call or contact our offices today.

Frequently Asked Questions About New Jersey Sexual Harassment Cases

In workplace sexual harassment cases, it is important that you document everything that has happened to make you feel uncomfortable based upon sex. If the harassment takes place face-to-face, it is important to keep a detailed log outlining what happened and who was involved, along with the dates, times and locations of the incidents. Save any written correspondence of a sexual nature, including emailed jokes and photos. It can also be important to get testimonials from anyone else who may have witnessed the harassing behavior. When you report the incident to a supervisor, also be sure to keep copies of any materials you have submitted and document the interaction with your supervisor or human resources department. In many cases, the response of human resources or a supervisor can be insufficient to stop the sexual harassment, meaning that you will need this evidence going forward.
Call an experienced sexual harassment lawyer to help pursue further action to stop the harassment. Our lawyers can help you file a claim with the equal employment opportunity commission (EEOC), which is the next step toward protecting your right to be free from sexual harassment in the workplace. The EEOC is then charged with conducting an investigation into what happened in your case and determining whether a financial settlement may be appropriate.

Meet Your Team

Katherine D. Hartman, Esquire

Katherine D. Hartman is the Managing Partner in the Moorestown, New Jersey law office of Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, which has been named one of America’s Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report. She concentrates her practice in employment discrimination, criminal defense, police disciplinary matters, and other employment law issues. Katie has been practicing law for over thirty years. She was admitted to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bars in 1991, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in November of 1993, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in November of 2002, and the Supreme Court of the United States in October of 2002.

Katie has been awarded the highest (AV) rating for professional ability and high ethical standards, by Martindale Hubbell. Additionally, Katie has consistently been voted a Super Lawyer by New Jersey Magazine. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. She was named one of the Top Forty Lawyers under Forty by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2002.

Michael C. Mormando, Esquire

Michael C. Mormando has been practicing law for over twenty years, and is a Partner at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered. Mike is an active member in the Burlington County Bar Association, he is a former Chair of the Bar Associations’ Criminal Practice Committee, and he formerly served as a member of the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee for Burlington County, District III-B. Mike also served two years as Councilman for Ward 3 in Delran Township, having been elected to the post in the November 2018 general election, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Delran Township Zoning Board.

Mike’s areas of practice include criminal defense, DUI defense, traffic violation defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, labor representation for collective bargaining units, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mike is approved by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) as a lawyer who can represent law enforcement officers who face disciplinary or criminal charges. Mike also represents small business owners concerning employment issues.

Mark A. Gulbranson, Esquire

Mark A. Gulbranson, Jr., an attorney with Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, has been practicing law for nine years. Prior to joining Attorneys Hartman, Mark was a corporate associate in the gaming practice group of Fox Rothschild, where he represented clients in a range of corporate, regulatory, and real estate matters. Mark served as a judicial clerk for Justice Lee Solomon of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and for Judge George Leone, J.A.D., of the New Jersey Appellate Division.

Mark’s areas of practice include real estate transactions and related litigation, small business counseling and regulatory compliance, domestic violence matters, appellate advocacy, municipal court defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mark handles cases in the New Jersey Superior Court – Law and Appellate Divisions, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States District Courts for the Districts of New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Office of Administrative Law, the New Jersey Department of Labor, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and various municipal courts throughout New Jersey.