The laws in St. Louis and around the state are clear. It is illegal for any company to actively participate in or condone the harassment of its workers. This includes both active employees at the company as well as employee candidates.
Companies that violate this law may face investigations by the State. In addition, affected employees or employee candidates can directly sue a business that allows workplace harassment to occur for compensation in civil court.
A St. Louis workplace harassment lawyer could help protect your employment rights when you are subjected to inappropriate behavior or hostility on the job. Specifically, our employment law attorneys could assist with investigating the incident, explaining the laws that prohibit this behavior, and taking the lead in demanding appropriate remedies from responsible parties.
Missouri’s Human Rights Act makes it illegal for an employer to subject any worker or candidate for employment to discrimination and harassment based on who they are. Workplace harassment includes any activity that makes workers feel uncomfortable or threatened. According to Missouri Revised Statute §213.055, it is illegal to target a person on the basis of their:
Harassment can manifest in two main forms. First, a company’s leadership can directly harass a worker by refusing a promotion, circulating inappropriate materials, or requiring a worker to participate in offensive activities. Second, a company can be held responsible for workplace harassment if a worker complains to human resources about one or more incidents, but the company fails to investigate their claims. This is considered complacency with workplace harassment and can lead to civil liability.
The first to take after experiencing harassment in the workplace is to file a complaint with the state’s Department of Labor & Industrial Relations, which will trigger an investigation into the incidents and grant the filer with the right to sue their employer in civil court.
Workplace harassment lawsuits filed in a St. Louis civil court can demand back pay of missed wages in cases of demotion or termination, reinstatement in a previously held position, compensatory damages such as emotional distress, punitive damages, and even attorney’s fees. A local lawyer is ready to help aggrieved workers file and pursue workplace harassment lawsuits.
State law prohibits the harassment of employees in the workplace. This includes employers that directly participate in this behavior as well as those that do not put a stop to their employee’s inappropriate actions despite being made aware thereof. If these incidents have impacted your ability to earn a living in any way, you have the right to demand compensation.
Our St. Louis workplace harassment lawyers are ready to help you take the necessary steps to making things right. This can include filing a complaint with the State as well as demanding payments in civil court on your behalf. Reach out to an attorney in St. Louis today to learn more about how they can help you.
