Key Takeaways:
- A sexual harassment case may lead to compensation that covers money for emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees, as well as potentially lost wages, depending on the facts of the case.
- The severity of the harassment, how long it lasted, and its effect on the worker all shape what a case may be worth.
- Documenting each incident and reporting it through proper channels can strengthen a claim and protect a worker’s rights.
An experienced Cherry Hill sexual harassment lawyer can help workers seek money for lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees, as a result of harassment at work. Each case turns on its own circumstances, and a lawyer can measure the full impact of a claimant’s negative experience, gather proof, and pursue the strongest possible recovery before filing deadlines pass.
What Is Sexual Harassment?
“Sexual harassment” is harassment based on sex, such as demands for sexual favors in exchange for job benefits or offensive behavior severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile workplace, which may include:
- Unwelcome sexual advances
- Crude jokes or comments
- Unwanted touching
- Explicit messages or images
- Threats tied to promotions or job security
Such behavior can come from a supervisor, co-worker, or customer.
Potential Damages in a Sexual Harassment Case
The financial damages can cover lost wages, benefits, and future pay when harassment forces someone out of a job. Damages for emotional harm, meanwhile, compensate injured employees for distress, anxiety, and humiliation resulting from the harassment, among other things. Remedies may include punitive damages when upper management took part in or willfully ignored the misconduct. Such recoveries add up, as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission obtained $660 million for 17,680 workers in fiscal year 2025.
What Factors Can Affect Recovery?
The size of a recovery depends on how severe the harassment was, how long it lasted, and the abuser(s) involved. Its impact on the worker matters too, as does how quickly the employer responded to the employee’s complaints. A nurse at a hospital on Chapel Avenue who needs counseling and leaves her job after months of mistreatment, for instance, may recover more than someone who faced a single offensive remark.
What Should You Do if You Experience Sexual Harassment?
A Cherry Hill sexual harassment lawyer recommends carefully documenting each incident, including dates, witnesses, and saved texts or emails. From there, reporting the conduct through the channel listed in the employer’s policy, such as a manager or Human Resources, puts the employer on notice. If the company fails to act, you can contact the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights or get in touch with our office.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
How long does a worker have to file a sexual harassment claim in New Jersey?
A lawsuit under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination generally must be filed within two years. A complaint with the Division on Civil Rights has a shorter deadline of 180 days.
Can an employer punish a worker for reporting sexual harassment?
No, New Jersey law bars retaliation such as firing, demotion, or reduced hours after a report. A worker who faces retaliation may have a separate claim for additional damages.
Do most sexual harassment cases go to trial?
Many cases settle through negotiation or mediation before trial. A settlement can still include pay for lost wages, emotional harm, punitive damages, and lawyers’ fees.
An experienced Cherry Hill sexual harassment lawyer at Warden Law LLC will fight for your workplace rights and hold employers accountable for their actions.
Workplace sexual harassment does not have to damage your life or your career. To learn more about your legal options, contact a Cherry Hill sexual harassment lawyer at Warden Law LLC. For a free consultation, call today at 856-324-8266 or complete our online contact form. Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, we proudly serve clients in the surrounding areas and throughout the state.