WORKPLACE HARASSMENT IN THE SAN JOSE AREA

COPING WITH THE STRESS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE

Victims of sexual harassment suffer emotional distress. The offensive sexual content of sexual harassment and the controlling behavior of the harasser are the major components that create stress in victims. Victims react with a combination of anger, anxiety and depression. Often victims feel embarrassed and experience guilt or shame about whether they gave the harasser the wrong impression. Victims often have a hard time overcoming the feelings of depression, anxiety, guilt or shame and those feelings often impede a victim from reporting the harassment or from getting help.

In addition to emotional distress, victims of sexual harassment often manifest physical symptoms. Physical symptoms can include sleeplessness, nightmares, headaches, fatigue, stomach upset, outbursts of anger, crying, problems with intimacy and inability to focus. Additional psychological symptoms include denial, fear, paranoia, numbness and lack of concentration.

As a result of the debilitating effects of the physical and emotional symptoms of sexual harassment, the work performance of victims often suffers. Typically, victims have decreased productivity and increased absenteeism. As a result, it is not unusual for victims to get negative feedback on work performance, including poor evaluations. Victims of sexual harassment often exhibit a change of attitude at work due to the emotional distress that they are undergoing. Employers often interpret this change of attitude as a negative attitude about work. As a result, sexual harassment victims can receive negative performance evaluations from employers.

Sometimes sexual harassment victims are in denial about the emotional distress they are experiencing as a result of sexual harassment. Acknowledging the emotional distress and taking steps to get help are critical steps for sexual harassment victims for finding the path to recovery from stress.

Victims of sexual harassment should seek professional help from a psychiatrist or psychologist to cope with their problems and to deal with managing the emotional distress they face as a result of the sexual harassment. Victims who have family and friends with whom they can confide and feel safe are likely to overcome the stress of sexual harassment more successfully and quickly than those who lack a support network.

The California Supreme Court has noted that stressful affects of sexual harassment may hinder a victim from reporting the harassment, and has stated that the sexual harassment victim’s actions need only be “reasonable.” The California Supreme Court explained:

"We stress also that the holding we adopt does not demand or expect that employees victimized by a supervisor’s sexual harassment must always report such conduct immediately to the employer through internal grievance mechanisms. … the employee may reasonably fear reprisal from the harassing supervisor or other employees. Moreover, in some cases an employee’s natural feelings of embarrassment, humiliation, and shame may provide a sufficient excuse for delay in reporting acts of sexual harassment by a supervisor."

Please do not hesitate to give us a call at 650-857-1600 or email us at brodericklaw@brodericklaw.com for a free consultation on how best to approach your workplace harassment problems with employers. At the Broderick Law Firm we are here to help you stop wrongful sexual harassment in the workplace.

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