If you work in the healthcare field, you deal with a variety of people – including patients. If you have been sexually harassed by a patient, the first thing you should do I leave the situation right away, report the incident, and then file a sexual harassment claim with your employer.
There are resources available to help you in such situations. You should know what to do and how to proceed with a claim if you face sexual harassment from a patient while you are on the job.
What Is Considered Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment can cover various behaviors and actions. Sexual harassment includes unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when it is either made as a term or a condition of an individual’s educational, living environment, employment, or participation within a community.
If you have been the victim of sexual harassment by a patient, you may be able to file an employment law claim to recover compensation for the damages caused by the inappropriate behavior.
What To Do If You Were Sexually Harassed By A Patient
If you have been the victim of sexual harassment by a patient, you should know how to properly and promptly respond to the behavior so you can quickly put an end to the unwanted actions and advances. Sexual harassment can lead to emotional turmoil and mental anguish, having long-term effects on the victim. If you have been sexually harassed, you may seek mental health services to help you overcome the situation.
Your employer should stand up for you and prohibit such actions and have a plan in place to stop any unwanted behaviors and to protect employees and others who may be subjected to such inappropriate activity. Here are a couple of tips for how to handle sexual harassment from a patient:
- Leave the Situation Immediately – If a patient’s behavior is making you feel uncomfortable or if you are feeling unsafe because of their comments and actions, you should leave that situation right away. Your personal safety and well-being are of the utmost importance. Federal and state laws pertaining to sexual harassment apply to your predicament, regardless of whether the harassment is taking place in a physician’s office, hospital, or some other medical setting.
- Report the Incident – As soon as you feel you have suffered sexual harassment you should notify the proper person regarding the incident and provide specific details. Explain what happened how it happened, and how you responded to the behavior and actions. Your employer should properly address the issue to prevent it from occurring again. Be sure to document the discussion with your employer and their response to your complaint.
Get A Free Case Evaluation
If you have been sexually harassed by a patient, you may be able to file a claim for sexual harassment against your employer. Your employer has responsibilities and should step up to prevent such actions and inappropriate behaviors.
An experienced employment law attorney will be able to investigate your incident, gathering supporting evidence and documentation to show what happened, and then ensure that you are treated fairly throughout the claims process. An attorney will be familiar with the applicable state and federal laws and will know the best way to proceed with your claim.
Some employment law attorneys require a retainer to be paid in advance, but there are lawyers who take such cases on a contingency basis. When that is the case, the lawyer is not paid until you recoup compensation through a settlement. Your lawyer would not be paid until you win your case and are compensated for your damages.
An attorney will review the details of your situation and will come up with a fair value for your claim, determining the total of your losses and how much would be a fair settlement for your specific claim.
You may be able to file a sexual harassment claim if your employer was aware of the situation and did not address it. You do have a limited time for pursuing a sexual harassment claim after an incident. If you wait too long, you cannot recoup compensated for the damages caused by the inappropriate behavior.
If you have been sexually harassed by a patient, complete the Free Case Evaluation Form to share the details of the incident with an employment law attorney who handles such claims in your area so you can get your claim underway before time runs out.
