No one, not even your employer, can anticipate how your clients act, unless the behavior has already happened before. This, however, does not mean that they do not have a responsibility over a customer’s acts of sexual harassment.
In situations like this, it is important to know when a client’s harassing behavior becomes your employer’s responsibility for you to be able to protect your rights and know your remedies.
Expectations from an employer
Employers have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment and to respond promptly and effectively when it does occur, including harassment coming from a client.
If an employee reports harassment by a customer, the employer should investigate the allegations and take appropriate action to stop the harassment and ensure it does not happen again. Specific measures an employer can take include the following:
- Addressing the issue directly with the client
- Making changes, such as schedules, to avoid employee interaction with said client
- Providing support and protection to the affected employee
- If necessary, ending the business relationship with the client
While appropriate action depends on the nature and severity of the harassment, employers should have measures available in any case of it.
If your employer fails to take action
If your employer does not take measures to prevent sexual harassment in your workplace or fails to act promptly and fairly on a harassment report, you may have a case to hold them accountable for their inaction. In these situations, it is advisable to gather all the relevant evidence and seek guidance from a sexual harassment attorney on how you can move forward with your case.