Amanda DeMatteis: Hi, Josh!
Josh Goodbaum: Hi, Amanda! What are we talking about today?
DeMatteis: I thought we’d talk about sexual harassment – unfortunately, something that impacts a lot of Connecticut employees. But let’s talk about it in a little bit more of a nuanced way. What can you share with our viewers about folks that experience sexual harassment in either the hiring or the application process for a job?
Goodbaum: Great question. Now, you might think that laws that prohibit sexual harassment, or laws that prohibit discrimination more generally, only apply to actual employees and that you don’t have rights if you haven’t yet been hired as an employee. But fortunately, you’d be wrong.
Connecticut law specifically covers not just employees but also “persons seeking employment,” and for sexual harassment, that’s a provision of the Connecticut General Statutes, 46a-60(b)(8). So if you are sexually harassed or otherwise subjected to discrimination in the context of applying for or interviewing for a job, you have rights.
You can contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); you can contact the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO); or you can contact a Connecticut employment lawyer who can help you understand your rights and your options.
But the important thing to know is that your rights exist and that they’ve been violated if you’ve been subjected to sexual harassment or discrimination in the hiring process. You are empowered to do something about it if you so choose.
DeMatteis: Great for people to know. Thank you so much, Josh. We’ll see you next time.