Knowledgeable Legal Counsel

At the Law Offices of F. Benjamin Riek III, we have represented hard-working professionals victimized by:

• Unwanted advances, physical touching/groping, comments, emails, and graphic sexual material
• Demands of some type of exchange for sexual favors, specifically a raise, promotion, or other privileges (quid pro quo)

Workers who try to resist the advances often find themselves victims of retaliation. Employees who stand up for themselves are suddenly denied promotions and other career opportunities. This behavior is unacceptable. The Law Offices of F. Benjamin Riek III can help you.

Sexual harassment takes many forms. Individuals who are suffering from hostile work environments may worry about retaliation for speaking up. Fortunately, the law offers important protections to whistleblowers and to individuals who issue complaints and you may have additional rights if you face retaliation for making a complaint. What constitutes sexual harassment? Here are some examples:

• Repeated unwanted sexual advances, text messages, emails, phone calls, or propositions
• Sexual gestures, or displaying sexually suggestive objects or pictures in the workplace
• Use or slurs, jokes, or sexually derogatory comments
• Verbal abuse
• Suggestive or obscene comments
• Comments about a person's physical appearance or body
• Touching, assault, or blocking a person from moving freely in the workplace

If you are facing sexual harassment, it is important that you preserve any evidence, letters, text messages, or photos. Report the incident to higher management as soon as possible. The law may place limits on how long you have to make a report. Take a look at your employee handbook for proper procedures for reporting sexual harassment and follow them. Once you make an official report, it is your company's responsibility to take action to protect you from harassment. You may also want to file a complaint with appropriate government channels. Take as many steps as possible to document the harassment and to report the harassment. This way, if the harassment continues, you have a paper trail of evidence to follow.

Finally, if you feel that the harassment is continuing, or that you are facing retaliation for your actions, you have the right to contact a sexual harassment lawyer in Akron, Ohio who can help you fight for your rights. The Akron, Ohio lawyer, F. Benjamin Riek III works hard to protect employees facing harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

You may feel powerless now, but you have rights. You have the law on your side. Most importantly, you have an attorney at your side.

Ohio attorney F. Benjamin Riek III combines nearly 40 years of experience with a comprehensive knowledge of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) laws. He is skilled in identifying illegal acts and building cases on behalf of harassment victims.