What are my options regarding sexual harassment by a co-worker?
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What are my options regarding sexual harassment by a co-worker?
I am 18 yrs old and I gave a fellow co-worker my phone number. We never had any type of relationship. Now he won’t leave me alone. He sends me sexual texts outside of work but I feel uncomfortable being around him and unsafe when I’m at work. I told a supervisor about his texts but says they’re unable to help me due to the texts taking place outside of work. What are my options?
Asked on April 28, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
First, while it is true that employers have less control over what workers do after hours than during, this may be a case where, since you have put them on notice of the situation, that they do need to take some action--e.g. warn him that disciplinary action will be taken if this continues. You could try contacting your state or the federal dept. of labor or the federal EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) to see whether this is a situation where the employer could or should take action.
However, even if the employer does something, that still doesn't necessarily fully resolve the situation, since he *is* doing this outside of work--and may he not be concerned about work consequences anyway. You may wish to speak to the police about possibly getting a retraining order of some kind against him.
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