Sexual Harassment Law in Utah
The State of Utah has a somewhat unique sexual harassment law, which states that an employee can be disciplined for violating the workplace policy even if the harassment happens outside of work hours and the place of employment.
The law also protects employees that file a complaint, by prohibiting retaliation and not allowing the offending employee to contact the other employee about the alleged harassment.
What Is Sexual Harassment Under Utah Law?
Under Utah law, and as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment refers to "Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment."
How Does Utah Law Prohibit Sexual Harassment?
Not only is sexual harassment illegal in Utah, but it is a federal crime in all fifty states. Typically, if an individual is being victimized at work, he or she should report the incident(s) to a supervisor or human resources. The employer should have sexual harassment policies in place, and it is important to follow the outlined procedures for reporting harassment.
It is also recommended to consult a sexual harassment attorney, as an experienced lawyer will be able to assist the person with filing a complaint with the EEOC, as well as aid in building a civil case against the perpetrator(s). The statute of limitations for filing a sexual harassment case can be quite short, which is why it is imperative to act quickly.
How Can a Local, Utah Attorney Help You?
While Utah law has very strict protocol for employees that file a sexual harassment complaint, once your employer has finished their investigation it is likely that you will need to file a civil suit. Why?
Employers are usually limited to what remedies they can do in the workplace. They may be able to terminate the accused employee, but if you are looking for compensation, you will most likely need to file a claim in civil court.
If your employer conducted their investigation and found that there was not enough to take action, then the complaint will be closed. Ultimately, if you felt like your employer easily dismissed the complaint or is favoring the accused employee, then a local Salt Lake City employment attorney can help you file a claim and represent you in civil court.
Businesses in Utah
Utah boasts of a highly diversified economy that covers numerous industries like agriculture, information technology, and manufacturing. Other businesses found here are financial institutions, petroleum, and mining companies.
Utah is very successful at building strong relationships with local companies. Its local and state governments, together with its economic development association are savvy to the benefits of facilitating partnerships. This rapport has come easily, as the state's businesses are locally-grown and the relatively small population is a tightly-knit community.
With the opening of the new headquarters for software firm Adobe, and other homegrown tech businesses, new job positions being filled has dropped the state's already low unemployment rate to around 3%. Wasatch Front, the state's super sector is fast becoming the new Silicon Valley that added to the already existing Novell software company established in Provo in the 1970's.
Wasatch Front is a small sector that lies in parts of Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Provo, where 80% of Utah's population is concentrated. Mid-2014 saw Utah as one of the most popular venues for venture capital funding activities where it landed in 6th place. This region also belongs to the top 15 metropolitan areas with the highest number of employees.
Bingham Canyon Mine is the world's biggest open-pit mine and was the largest source of Salt Lake City's income in the 1900s. However, its economy shifted towards transit hubs, seasonal tourism, and call centers as its major income generators.
Utah has more than 40,000 businesses, with an estimated 24,000 found in Salt Lake City alone. In Salt Lake, the top employers are Intermountain Healthcare Medical Center, University Hospital, Salt Lake County, University of Utah, and Discover Products Inc. The employment rate is around 96%.