Sexual Harassment in Tech Industry: What You Should Know

Unfortunately, sexual harassment in the tech industry is a lot more prevalent than most people think. Studies have shown that a staggering ...

Unfortunately, sexual harassment in the tech industry is a lot more prevalent than most people think. Studies have shown that a staggering 53% of women in the tech industry have experienced sexual harassment.

Even worse, 39% of the women who experienced unwanted sexual advances didn’t report the harassment for fear of damaging their careers. The remaining 61% of women who came forward to report the harassment did not get the results they wanted.

Although the studies focused on female participants, men are victims of sexual harassment in the tech industry, too.

The number of incidences of sexual harassment in the tech industry is shameful. In fact, it’s more common in the tech industry than any other industry – even male-dominated fields like energy or finance. 

If you have been a victim of sexual harassment in your workplace, the best thing to do is hire an attorney. Experienced employment lawyers will be able to determine whether you have legal recourse.

Here’s everything you need to know about sexual harassment in the tech industry and what you can do about it.

Types of Sexual Harassment in the Tech Industry

For a victim of sexual harassment to pursue litigation or receive compensation, the victim must have experienced quid pro quo harassment, hostile work environment harassment, or both.  

Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Quid pro quo means “a favor or advantage granted in return for something” – translated in English; it means “this for that.”

This form of sexual harassment involves an authority figure – such as a manager or supervisor – suggesting or overtly offering something in return for sexual favors. This can be a promotion, a pay raise, a positive performance review, etc.

Sometimes, the victim of quid pro quo sexual harassment also suffers adverse consequences for rejecting sexual advances.

If you have experienced quid pro harassment, speak to a lawyer who specializes in sexual harassment as soon as possible. Supervisors, managers, and other authority figures are prohibited from sexually harassing employees by law.   

Hostile Work Environment Harassment

It’s a sad fact that hostile work environment harassment is widespread in the tech industry.

Several criteria must be met for harassment to qualify as hostile work environment harassment.

To classify this kind of harassment, it must be gender-based and include unwelcome conduct. The hostile work environment harassment must also include behavior that would offend any reasonable person, and it must be both severe and persistent.

It’s important to note that you did not have to object to the harassment when it was happening – you may still have a case if the behavior was unwelcome.

What Can You Do If You’ve Been Sexually Harassed?

It’s outrageous that many victims of sexual harassment in the tech industry feel like they can’t complain about it because they may lose their jobs – it is a victim’s right to speak out against any form of abuse happening in the workplace.

The bottom line is that sexual harassment in any industry is illegal.

According to the law, the victims are protected. In many cases, the victims of sexual harassment may seek financial compensation to bolster their financial security if they do lose their jobs.

If you’ve been a victim of sexual harassment, call an experienced employment lawyer right away.