Sexual harassment in the workplace comes in many forms. “Quid pro quo” harassment, for example, involves employment actions that are conditioned on a demand for a sexual favor and could result in termination or other adverse actions when refused. In other cases, it may be inappropriate comments, lewd behavior or suggestive statements that create a hostile work environment.
A recent study conducted by the International News Safety Institute and the International Women’s Media Foundation determined that the majority of female journalists suffer a varying range of harassment. In fact, the study determined that “intimidation, threats or abuse” were experienced in the workplace by at least 64 percent of these individuals.
The problem isn’t an isolated phenomenon based the type of workplace or the location itself. What we mean is that researchers found that female journalists, reporters, editors and even camera operators experienced this type of harassment in the studio and on location. The testimony that was used came from 875 women that worked in the United States as well as several other countries around the world.
Journalists are often placed in risky situations, like when they are sent into a war-torn country to report. “What this ground-breaking survey shows is that women journalists are often at risk in their own work places as well,” said the director of the INSI, Hannah Storm. “The violence and harassment they face goes widely unreported and therefore unpunished,” Storm explained.
In Los Angeles, workers, both male and female, are protected from sexual harassment under state and federal laws. Those that wonder if they may have a claim against an employer don’t have to figure it out on their own. Employment law attorneys not only provide advocacy during a trial, but they can help navigate any complex situation to determine what claims can and should be made.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Women Journalists Face Rampant Workplace Abuse, Sexual Harassment: Study,” Catherine Taibi, Dec. 2, 2013