You believe that you are experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. Maybe a coworker has made rude comments about your appearance, your body, your sexual preferences, your partner or other things of this nature. It makes you feel uncomfortable, and it can contribute to feeling like you are working in a hostile work environment.
But when you bring it up, the person acts as if it is not a big deal. They say they were just joking. Maybe they even blame you. They claim that you are being too sensitive or that you must not understand the joke. They claim it is not sexual harassment, but that they were just teasing you and that you should not take it so seriously.
2 issues to consider
First and foremost, even if they were genuinely joking, it can still be sexual harassment. This is especially true if you have asked them to stop and they have persisted in the behavior. They clearly know that you do not appreciate it, and these “jokes” are based on your sexuality or gender-based characteristics.
They are creating a hostile work environment, even if they claim you are just being too sensitive. You should not have to experience that kind of conduct at work.
Secondly, it could be that they were never joking. They were serious, but they did not expect you to speak up or call them out on the behavior. They are just claiming it is a joke after the fact to try to excuse that behavior and shift the blame off of themselves.
What are your legal options?
Experiencing sexual harassment on the job can be very frustrating and detrimental to your mental health and your career. It is critical that you understand what legal steps to take to protect your rights.
