Amanda DeMatteis: Hi, Josh!
Josh Goodbaum: Hi, Amanda! What are we talking about today?
DeMatteis: Let’s talk about a Connecticut employee who feels as though they are working in a hostile work environment or they’re experiencing some level of harassment at work. People never really know what to do in this situation, and that’s super understandable. So, I think we should try to answer the question for them of: “When do I reach out to an employment lawyer and see what my rights are?”
Goodbaum: Yeah, as with so much in employment law, there is no one-size-fits-all answer here, but here is some guidance. This list is not exhaustive, it’s not a complete list, but here are five signs that it’s time for you to call a Connecticut employment lawyer.
One: You feel unsafe, physically or emotionally.
Number two: You’re being touched physically in some way. Someone is touching you violently or sexually or making you feel really uncomfortable physically.
Number three: You can’t do your job. You’re just not feeling capable of getting through the day, of performing the duties that are the reason you’re being paid.
Number four: You think you’re going to quit your job or you feel like you have no choice but to quit your job. You need to call a lawyer before you quit, not after.
Number five: You think the harassment or the hostile work environment is motivated by your protected characteristic or your protected conduct. So you think you’re being harassed or you’re subject to a hostile work environment because of your race, your disability, your sex, your age, your religion, your sexual orientation, or a number of other protected characteristics, or because you’re a whistleblower or you’re opposing discrimination of one kind or another. If you think it’s hostile, not just because somebody doesn’t like you, but because somebody doesn’t like you because of who you are or what you did, it’s time to talk with a lawyer.
Remember, it’s better to contact a lawyer too soon than too late. It’s better for a lawyer to say, “Hey, there’s nothing I can do for you right now,” than say “I wish you’d come and seen me weeks or months ago.”
So, those are five signs that it’s time for you – if you’re an employee working in a hostile work environment or you’re an employee experiencing harassment – to reach out and find a harassment lawyer.
DeMatteis: Really useful stuff for employees that are going through this. Thank you so much, and we’ll see you next time.
Goodbaum: Thank you!