Sexual harassment in the workplace can be devastating. The mental impact can derail and change your life forever. If you’ve been sexually harassed at work in California, it’s important to understand the mental health issues that you may be dealing with. At our practice, Diefer Law Group, we help victims seek justice. It is important to know how to recognize the psychological effects of sexual harassment in the California workplace so that you can protect yourself and your rights.
The workplace should be safe. Sexual harassment in a professional setting violates a person’s feeling of safety, their dignity, and their ability to do their job. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD can result from such a traumatic experience.
Mental Symptoms of Harassment and Their Impact on Job Performance
Victims of workplace sexual harassment may experience various mental symptoms, including social withdrawal, anxiety and depression, PTSD, and low self-esteem.
The psychological consequences of sexual harassment can affect performance and satisfaction in the workplace. Victims can experience:
- Depression and a sense of powerlessness
- A decline in self-esteem
- Anxiety and the fear of future encounters with their harassers
- Difficulty focusing on tasks and maintaining productivity levels
- Increased sick leave and avoidance of the workplace to escape the harasser
Long-Term Psychological Effects
Long-term psychological repercussions of being sexually harassed can include:
- Chronic mental health issues, including ongoing depression, anxiety, and PTSD, requiring long-term therapy and medication
- Physical health problems caused by stress, such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, and gastrointestinal problems
- Difficulty finding future employment
- Difficulty trusting future employers and colleagues
How Can I Prove Psychological Harassment?
To prove psychological harassment, you must be sure to document the harassment and its effects. The documentation can include:
- Detailed Records: Keep a log of incidents, dates, times, and any witnesses.
- Medical Documentation: Obtain evaluations and reports from mental health professionals.
- Witness Statements: Gather testimony from colleagues who witnessed the harassment or its effects on the victim.
The Role of Workplace Culture in Harassment
In addition to a perpetrator’s internal motivation, sexual harassment can be organizational. In toxic work environments, perpetrators get away with sexual aggression. When these behaviors are poorly managed, they might escalate. When silence, indifference, and secrecy become normalized, harassment can hide in plain sight. Employers should strive to create a respect-based workplace culture that is inclusive and harassment-free. Training, policies, and proper investigative mechanisms must be in place.
Support Systems for Victims
For people who have suffered from psychological harassment, mental health services are essential. Examples of these services can include counseling and therapy, support groups, and EAPs (employee assistance programs).
Legal Protections and Employee Rights
For victims of sexual harassment in California, understanding the various legal protections may help in navigating the process and seeking relief. Sexual harassment in California is prohibited by the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). This act provides significant protection against all forms of workplace harassment.
Employees are protected from discrimination and harassment on the job. If these rights are violated, victims may pursue action and seek relief in the form of civil penalties. To achieve this, they can file an administrative complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) or hire an experienced attorney.
Employer Responsibilities in Preventing Harassment
Employers have a legal and moral obligation to take all possible measures to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace, including creating written anti-harassment policies, holding regular staff training, and ensuring that there is a safe and anonymous reporting channel.
Impact on Workplace Dynamics
Sexual harassment at work can affect interpersonal relations among workers. If a person has been targeted and violated because they are distressed, those around them become fearful or anxiety-ridden as the environment transforms into a hostile place. Co-workers may start to quit or begin to call in sick more often. When morale plummets, productivity does, too.
FAQs
Q: What Mental Symptoms Might a Victim of Harassment Experience?
A: The many possible mental symptoms that a victim of harassment might experience include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Poor self-esteem
- Social withdrawal
These can lead to poor concentration, reduced social interaction, and unhappy moods. Symptoms can be managed with psychological and mental health support. It can be a life-saving service to get help for these symptoms rather than put them aside.
Q: What Are the Psychological Effects of Harassment?
A: The psychological effects of harassment can include anxiety, depression, PTSD, low self-esteem, as well as stress. Social withdrawal may also occur, making it more challenging to maintain both work relationships and interpersonal connectedness. Victims may realize that their lives at home and at work are forever changed, and they can go on to suffer from associated long-term mental health issues.
Q: How Do You Prove Psychological Harassment?
A: To prove psychological harassment, you must document incidents, get evaluations from mental health professionals, and, if at all possible, gain witness statements. To build a very strong case showing how you’ve been affected by the harassment, it can be critical to collect:
- Statements that document in detail how you are being harassed
- Medical opinions about how you have suffered or continue to suffer physically or mentally
- Testimony from co-workers
An experienced lawyer can help you prove not only that you’re being harassed but also how you’ve been affected.
Q: Does Harassment Have a Long-Term Effect on a Victim?
A: Yes, harassment can have a long-term effect on a victim. The ongoing psychological effects of harassment vary, depending on the level and type of harassment as well as what effects the harassment has had on the victim. Chronic mental health effects, such as depression and anxiety as well as stress-related physical health effects, can last for decades due to the distress it causes on the deepest of levels.
Contact a Sexual Harassment Attorney
While there are legal remedies for sexual harassment in the workplace, the psychological remnants are often far worse than people are led to believe. We encourage anyone who may have been a victim to seek legal and psychological counsel. At Diefer Law Group, P.C., we can guide you through the legal issues and fight for your justice.
Our team of attorneys can advocate for your rights in court and give you a voice to get the justice that all victims deserve. Contact us for a consultation about your situation. Let us help you move forward with your life and get the compensation that you need and deserve.
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