Dealing with provocative or sexual comments at the workplace can be degrading, humiliating, and difficult to handle. Those who suffer from this kind of sexual harassment may be uncertain of their options. Far too often, victims end up staying silent because they aren’t certain of what to do, or because they fear for their jobs.
There are several options that people can in order to handle provocative comments at work. The first thing to understand is that it is not an overreaction to report people for saying lewd things. Though many believe that sexual comments are not worth getting worked up about, they are legally considered to be sexual harassment and can be treated as such. This is stated by United Nations in their report of what can be considered sexual harassment. This means that the person or people who are making the comments can be held responsible for what they have said, especially if it becomes a case of libel or slander.
Additionally, someone who complains about provocative comments cannot be fired for voicing these concerns. Because lewd comments are considered to be sexual harassment, it would feasibly not be too difficult to see if the case is also one of sexual discrimination. If that is true, then according to the United States Equal Opportunity Commission, the person who is the target of these comments cannot be fired for blowing the whistle.
With all of these protections in place, it is certainly not a poor idea to consider taking legal action against those who make derogatory remarks in the work place. Contacting an attorney may be a good place to start.