Tampa Sexual Harassment Lawyer

Tampa Sexual Harassment Attorney

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious issue that comes up with surprising frequency. If you’ve become the victim of sexual harassment in any form, you should work with a Tampa sexual harassment lawyer who can help you hold the responsible parties accountable and get compensated for the damages you’ve suffered.

Trust the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A.

Here at the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., we take sexual harassment claims very seriously. We know that this form of workplace misbehavior can ruin lives. If you’ve suffered sexual harassment at work, we can help. We have a deep familiarity with sexual harassment laws and how they can be applied to your unique case, and we treat every claim with the care it deserves.

Why Hire a Sexual Harassment Lawyer?

In 2024, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 88,531 charges of alleged employment discrimination. A little over 40% of those charges involved sexual harassment. In 2023, Florida ranked second among the states in EEOC charges filed, so it’s safe to say that the Sunshine State deals with a good number of sexual harassment cases each year. Unfortunately, this problem is often underreported across all 50 states.

You don’t have to be one of the many people who fail to report sexual harassment in the workplace. You can hire a Tampa sexual harassment lawyer to help you file a claim against the person who has been harassing you, and possibly also your employer. Filing a harassment claim doesn’t just help you get access to compensation for your suffering. It also helps to hold people accountable, and hiring a lawyer is the most straightforward way to file a claim.

What’s Considered Sexual Harassment?

Before you file a claim with the EEOC or the Florida Commission on Human Relations, you’ll need to know what constitutes sexual harassment. Overall, sexual harassment is any type of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for favors of a sexual nature, or other forms of verbal or physical conduct that creates a hostile work environment.

There are two types of sexual harassment:

• Quid pro quo harassment. This form of harassment occurs when an employer or manager requests sexual favors in return for promotions or other perks, or to avoid negative repercussions.
• Hostile work environment. This form of harassment involves unwelcome physical or verbal conduct that is sexual in nature and is severe or pervasive enough to create an abusive work environment. Harassment by fellow employees typically falls under this category.

Not all offensive comments are considered sexual harassment. If you’re concerned that a coworker or employer is harassing you at work, contact a lawyer to determine whether their conduct is in keeping with the legal definition of harassment.

When to Hire a Lawyer

It is wise to hire a lawyer as soon as possible after the harassment begins or an isolated event occurs. An experienced Tampa sexual harassment attorney can help you determine where to file your harassment claim and work with you to define the harassing conduct so that you’ll feel more confident when confronting HR or management.

You can hire a lawyer at any time in the process of reporting sexual harassment. You’ll need to file a claim with the EEOC, which can be challenging. A lawyer can help you fill out paperwork and gather evidence to support your claim.

How to Protect Yourself

There are certain steps you can take to protect yourself at work while you’re handling your sexual harassment claim. They include:

• Documenting all incidents of harassment and all discussions of these incidents with your employer
• Preparing yourself to confront the harasser if the behavior continues
• Learning how to report future harassment
• Monitoring your employer’s response to your claim to ensure that they do not retaliate against you

Having a lawyer on your side can make all of these steps easier.

FAQs

Your Tampa Sexual Harassment Lawyer

No one should be made to feel uncomfortable in their place of work, and there is never an excuse for sexual harassment of any kind. If you’ve been subjected to harassment, you can work with the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A. Our team has been taking on sexual harassment cases for years, and in that time, we’ve seen it all. We treat clients with compassion and cases with the seriousness they deserve. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.