Attorney for Sexual Harassment at Work

No one should have to choose between earning a living and being treated with dignity. Yet every year, thousands of workers across New York City endure unwanted sexual advances, degrading comments, inappropriate touching, and retaliation for speaking up. If you have experienced sexual harassment at work, you are not powerless — and you are not alone. New York offers some of the strongest workplace protections in the nation, and an experienced sexual harassment attorney can help you enforce them.

Our firm represents employees throughout the five boroughs — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island — in sexual harassment claims against employers of every size, from small businesses to major corporations, financial institutions, hospitals, restaurants, and government agencies. This page explains what sexual harassment looks like under New York law, the legal protections available to you, the deadlines you must meet, and the concrete steps you can take right now to protect your rights.

What Is Sexual Harassment Under New York Law?

Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful sex discrimination. It includes unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, as well as hostile or degrading treatment directed at someone because of their sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Importantly, harassment does not need to be motivated by sexual desire to be illegal — conduct that demeans or targets you because of your gender can qualify even if it is not overtly sexual.

New York law recognizes two primary categories of sexual harassment:

Quid Pro Quo Harassment

Quid pro quo — Latin for "this for that" — occurs when a supervisor, manager, or other person with authority conditions employment benefits on submission to sexual conduct. Examples include:

• A manager suggesting a promotion, raise, or favorable schedule in exchange for sexual favors
• Threatening termination, demotion, or a poor performance review if an employee refuses a sexual advance
• Withdrawing job opportunities after an employee rejects romantic or sexual overtures

Even a single incident of quid pro quo harassment is unlawful, and employers are typically held strictly accountable when a supervisor engages in this conduct.

Hostile Work Environment Harassment

A hostile work environment exists when unwelcome conduct based on sex makes the workplace intimidating, offensive, or abusive. Common examples include:

• Repeated sexual comments, jokes, or innuendo
• Unwanted touching, groping, hugging, or blocking someone's movement
• Displaying or sending sexually explicit images, emails, or text messages
• Comments about an employee's body, appearance, or sex life
• Persistent requests for dates after the employee has said no
• Spreading sexual rumors about a coworker
• Demeaning remarks about women, men, or LGBTQ+ employees generally

New York's Standard Is Broader Than Federal Law

Many workers assume they must prove harassment was "severe or pervasive" to have a case. That is the federal standard under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act — but New York law goes much further.

Following landmark amendments to the New York State Human Rights Law in 2019, an employee no longer needs to show that harassment was severe or pervasive. Instead, conduct is unlawful if it subjects a person to inferior terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of a protected characteristic. Conduct is only excused if it amounts to nothing more than "petty slights or trivial inconveniences" — a far lower bar for employees to clear.

The New York City Human Rights Law is broader still. Courts interpreting the City law have held that an employee need only show they were treated less well than other employees because of their gender. The City law is expressly required to be construed liberally in favor of protecting workers, independent of how federal or state statutes are interpreted.

In practical terms, this means that conduct that might not support a claim under federal law can absolutely support a claim under New York State and City law. If you were told your situation "isn't bad enough" to pursue, it is worth getting a second opinion from an attorney who focuses on New York's more protective standards.

The Laws That Protect You

The New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL)

Widely regarded as one of the most protective anti-discrimination statutes in the country, the NYCHRL prohibits sexual harassment by employers of all sizes with respect to gender-based harassment claims. It covers employees, interns, freelancers, and independent contractors. Remedies include uncapped compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees.

The New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL)

The State Human Rights Law prohibits sexual harassment by all employers in New York, regardless of size — even employers with a single employee. It protects employees, paid and unpaid interns, domestic workers, and independent contractors. Recent amendments eliminated the severe-or-pervasive requirement, limited employer defenses, and made punitive damages and attorneys' fees available in employment discrimination cases.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Federal law also prohibits sexual harassment by employers with 15 or more employees. While its standards are narrower than New York law, filing with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may be strategically valuable in certain cases. An attorney can advise which forum — or combination of forums — best serves your goals.

Who Is Protected?

New York's protections extend well beyond traditional full-time employees. You may have a claim if you are:

• A full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal employee
• An independent contractor, freelancer, gig worker, or consultant
• A paid or unpaid intern
• A domestic worker, such as a nanny, housekeeper, or home health aide
• A job applicant harassed during the hiring process
• A non-employee, such as a vendor or contractor, harassed in someone else's workplace

You are also protected regardless of your sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, and regardless of the harasser's gender. Same-sex harassment is just as unlawful as opposite-sex harassment. Immigration status does not affect your right to be free from harassment at work.

Who Can Be Held Liable?

Liability for sexual harassment is not limited to the individual harasser. Depending on the circumstances, responsible parties may include:

• Your employer, particularly when a supervisor or manager engaged in the harassment, or when the company knew or should have known about coworker harassment and failed to act
• Individual supervisors and coworkers, who can be held personally liable under the State and City Human Rights Laws
• Third parties, such as clients, customers, or vendors, where the employer failed to protect you from known harassment

New York City employers are also required to provide annual sexual harassment prevention training and distribute anti-harassment policies. An employer's failure to comply with these obligations can be powerful evidence in your case.

Retaliation Is Illegal — Even If the Harassment Claim Fails

Fear of retaliation stops many workers from reporting harassment. New York law addresses this directly: it is unlawful for an employer to punish you for reporting harassment, filing a complaint, participating in an investigation, or supporting a coworker's claim. Retaliation can take many forms, including:

• Termination or demotion
• Reduction in hours, pay, or desirable assignments
• Exclusion from meetings, projects, or advancement opportunities
• Sudden negative performance reviews or write-ups
• Hostile treatment designed to force you to quit

Critically, you can prevail on a retaliation claim even if the underlying harassment claim is not ultimately successful, as long as you complained in good faith. Retaliation claims are often among the strongest claims an employee has, because the timing between a complaint and adverse action can speak for itself.

Deadlines: How Long Do You Have to File?

Strict time limits apply to sexual harassment claims, and missing a deadline can permanently bar your case. Key deadlines include:

These deadlines can be affected by ongoing conduct, tolling rules, and the forum you choose, so do not rely on general timelines alone. The safest course is to consult an attorney as soon as possible after the harassment occurs.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

A successful sexual harassment claim can result in significant recovery, including:

• Back pay: lost wages, bonuses, commissions, and benefits if you were fired, demoted, or forced to resign
• Front pay: compensation for future lost earnings when returning to the job is not feasible
• Emotional distress damages: compensation for anxiety, depression, humiliation, and other psychological harm — uncapped under both the State and City Human Rights Laws
• Punitive damages: available under the State and City laws to punish egregious conduct and deter future violations
• Attorneys' fees and costs: recoverable by prevailing employees, which allows workers to pursue justice without paying legal fees out of pocket
• Injunctive relief: court-ordered changes such as reinstatement, policy reforms, or mandatory training

Steps to Take If You Are Being Harassed at Work

What you do in the days and weeks after harassment occurs can significantly strengthen — or weaken — your legal position. We recommend the following:

1. Document everything. Keep a detailed, dated log of each incident: what was said or done, where it happened, and who witnessed it. Save texts, emails, voicemails, and social media messages. Store copies somewhere outside your work systems.
2. Review your employee handbook. Identify your employer's harassment reporting procedure. Following it can preserve claims and eliminate employer defenses.
3. Report the harassment in writing. A written complaint to human resources or management — via email, so there is a timestamped record — creates proof that the employer was on notice. Keep a copy for yourself.
4. Preserve evidence of retaliation. If your hours, assignments, or treatment change after you complain, document those changes immediately.
5. Do not sign anything without legal advice. Severance agreements, releases, and arbitration acknowledgments can affect your rights. Note that New York law limits mandatory confidentiality provisions in harassment settlements — you generally cannot be forced into silence unless confidentiality is your preference.
6. Consult an attorney early. An experienced lawyer can help you report strategically, preserve evidence, meet deadlines, and avoid missteps that employers' defense counsel look to exploit.

How Our Firm Can Help

Sexual harassment cases are rarely straightforward. Employers deny wrongdoing, witnesses fear coming forward, and evidence can disappear quickly. Our attorneys level the playing field by:

• Evaluating your case confidentially and without charge, so you understand your options before making any decisions
• Conducting a thorough investigation, including identifying witnesses, preserving electronic evidence, and uncovering patterns of prior complaints against the harasser or employer
• Choosing the right forum — whether the New York State Division of Human Rights, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the EEOC, or state or federal court — based on your goals and the strengths of your case
• Negotiating aggressively for settlements that reflect the full value of your economic losses and emotional harm
• Trying cases to verdict when employers refuse to offer fair compensation
• Protecting you from retaliation throughout the process

We handle sexual harassment cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorneys' fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have a case if the harassment only happened once?

Possibly. A single incident of quid pro quo harassment is always actionable, and under New York City and State law, even a single serious incident of hostile conduct — such as groping or an explicit proposition — can support a claim. The old rule requiring a pattern of severe or pervasive conduct no longer governs New York claims.

Can I sue if I quit because of the harassment?

Yes. If working conditions were so intolerable that a reasonable person would have felt compelled to resign, you may have a claim for constructive discharge, allowing you to recover lost wages even though you resigned rather than being fired.

What if I never reported the harassment to HR?

You may still have a claim. While reporting strengthens a case — particularly one involving coworker harassment — failure to report is not an automatic bar, especially when a supervisor was the harasser or when reporting would have been futile or frightening. An attorney can assess how this factor affects your specific situation.

Will my case be public?

Not necessarily. Many cases resolve through confidential negotiation or mediation before any public filing. If confidentiality matters to you, New York law allows settlement terms to remain confidential when the employee prefers it. We will discuss privacy considerations with you at every stage.

How much does it cost to hire a sexual harassment lawyer?

Our consultations are free and confidential, and we handle these cases on contingency. You owe nothing unless we win compensation for you, and New York law allows prevailing employees to recover attorneys' fees from the employer.

Speak With a New York City Sexual Harassment Attorney Today

Sexual harassment thrives on silence. Taking action not only protects your career, your income, and your well-being — it can also protect coworkers who may be suffering in silence. New York law gives you powerful tools, but strict deadlines mean that waiting can cost you your claim.

Contact our office today for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to your story, explain your rights under New York State and City law, and give you an honest assessment of your options. Everything you share with us is protected by attorney-client privilege, and you are under no obligation to move forward. Whatever you decide, you deserve to make that decision with full knowledge of your rights — and with an experienced advocate in your corner.

You can contact us by phone at 212-233-1233 or by email at [email protected].