Often, when people consider sexual harassment in the workplace, they have a tendency to imagine that the victims are female and the perpetrators are male. There are stereotypes about a male boss harassing his female secretary, for example, using his position of power to keep her from speaking up.
These things certainly do happen, and it is important to be aware of the potential for illegal sexual misconduct. However, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) notes that both victims and harassers can be men or women. It is absolutely possible for a male worker to be sexually harassed by a female coworker, for example.
In this sense, it is important not to let stereotypes define the only way that a person thinks about sexual harassment. Even when someone’s situation does not fit that stereotype, they could absolutely have a valid claim.
Both people can be of the same gender
Likewise, the EEOC notes that there does not even need to be a gender difference between the two people. A male worker could be sexually harassed by a male coworker, and the same is true for two female coworkers — or for a lower-level employee and a manager, supervisor or executive.
In other words, the key thing to remember is that many sexual harassment cases can look a bit different and that there is the potential for anyone to face this type of mistreatment on the job. All employees are protected under the law, and sexual harassment of any type is illegal. Those who experience it, especially if they are worried about retaliation when they speak up, need to know exactly what legal options they have.