New California Law Protects Workers from Sexual Harassment
A recent report that focused on widespread incidences of sexual harassment involving farmworkers in California guided the design of a new bill which was recently signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown. The bill makes California one of the first states in the country to enact sexual harassment laws that protect farm workers from abuse.
The investigative report by University Of California Berkeley journalism students groups and other agencies spotlighted the high rates of sexual abuse involving farmworkers in picking, packing and other farm activities.
Under the law, liability for protection of farmworkers will be placed on a third party, who provides temporary farmworkers to agricultural employers. The new law will mandate training for supervisors who are required to undergo sexual harassment training at least once every two years.
Migrant female workers are unwilling to report these incidents of sexual harassment. Many of them consider themselves fortunate to be able to work in the country, and decide that reporting any kind of abuse or harassment is simply not worth the consequences. Women are often afraid of reporting these crimes, because these are often undocumented immigrants who are at risk of being deported.
Incidents of sexual harassment may not be as widespread, but still do occur in other workplaces across the country. Lewd jokes, inappropriate gestures, obscene e-mails, and inappropriate comments made in passing, all of these can constitute sexual harassment. If you have been subjected to any type of obscene, inappropriate behavior or language in the workplace, you may have rights to file a complaint. Speak to an employment lawyer in California about how you can protect your rights.
