When sexual harassment comes up in conversation, people often have the idea that this means that a female employee is being pressured by her male supervisor to respond to his sexual advances, possibly under threat of losing her job. While this scenario does indeed describe a fair number of sexual harassment cases, sexual harassment can affect any employee of either sex, and for any reason. Sometimes, it can even occur between co-workers where neither person has authority over the other. Whatever the case or circumstances may be, sexual harassment is a serious discriminatory offense that can affect an employee's ability to perform his or her job properly and create a hostile work environment for everyone.

Due to the nature of sexual harassment, it is considered to be a form of sex discrimination, and as such it is handled in a similar fashion to other discriminatory cases. Often times, employees will be hesitant to report sexual harassment, as they may feel their case would be difficult or impossible to prove, or sometimes, they convince themselves that they must just be overreacting. As a rule of thumb, however, it's best to remember that if you feel that a certain behavior towards you has been inappropriate, then it needs to stop. Every employee has the right to feel safe and comfortable in the workplace, and if this is not the case for you, then something needs to be done about it.

If someone in your office is making unwelcome advances toward you, you should firmly let him or her know that you are not interested. Sexual harassment laws in Alabama are very complex, and the most important factor is that the advances have to be unwelcome. You must not give the other person any suggestion or hints that the behavior is okay with you, and you must make it clear from the beginning that you want the behavior to stop. If this does not work, your next step is to report all of the incidents to your supervisor, unless of course your supervisor is the party in question. The next step beyond handling the matter internally within the company is to obtain legal aid and think about filing a sexual discrimination claim. 

Having the proper legal assistance is essential when dealing with sexual harassment cases in Alabama, simply because personal circumstances can vary significantly, and each case may require a different approach. Your attorney will advise you as to whether you should file a complaint at the state or federal level, and on what specific grounds. Although many sexual harassment cases deal with one-on-one incidents, other times it could be a group situation, for instance if a manager behaves in a certain way towards all employees of a certain sex, or it could be a general feeling of hostility caused by the sexual attitudes and behaviors of people in the workplace. As an employee you have the right to feel safe and comfortable at work, and the laws of Alabama are there to protect you.