Sexual Harassment: A Practical Guide to the Law, Your Rights, and Your Options for Taking Action [Paperback]

Jane LaLonde (Author), Tracy O'Shea (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1998

At last a practical and thorough sourcebook for anyone faced with the ordeal of sexual harassment.

Until two years ago, we were two ordinary working women with career goals and bright futures...Then suddenly everything changed. We encountered a situation we never thought would happen to us--we became victims of sexual harassment.

While sexual harassment is increasingly in the headlines, it remains a confusing, isolating ordeal for the individuals whose lives it affects. In addition to the feelings of powerlessness, anger, and fear it often instills, a woman (or man) who is being sexually harassed is faced with a maze of professional, legal, and personal decisions. This book, written by two women who conducted intensive research in order to find their way through the maze, offers a lifeline of information and a safety net of support. With a balanced point of view and generous checklists, examples, and personal narratives, the book covers:

Legal and practical definitions of what sexual harassment is--and not
Whether and how to file a formal complaint
Whether to hire a lawyer and what to expect from the legal process
What retaliation is and how to fight it
How to deal with the emotional stress, invasion of privacy, and career changes that often result from being sexually harassed

This indispensable book sheds light on a difficult and little-understood problem.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Under the law, there are two types of sexual harassment?quid pro quo and hostile work environment. The authors provide legal definitions and examples of each type and counsel readers on what to do when confronted with harassment. Their advice is punctuated with personal anecdotes that help explain how to keep records of the incidents, confront the harasser, file a complaint, inform a supervisor, participate in an investigation, and seek legal help. O'Shea and LaLonde, who work in publishing and banking, respectively, pay attention to the emotional and social implications of harassment and take a hard look at the decisions victims are faced with in regard to their employment situations. A resource guide lists helpful agencies in each state, and the appendix provides sample Equal Employment Opportunity Commission documents that will familiarize readers with claim and settlement forms. This is a balanced and practical look at the subject. Recommended for public libraries.?Joan Pedzich, Harris, Beach & Wilcox, Rochester, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Tracy O'Shea and Jane LaLonde (a pseudonym) are professionals in the publishing and banking industries, respectively. Each spent many months researching this topic for herself before coming together to write this book. Both live in the New York area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (August 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312195249
• ISBN-13: 978-0312195243
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,193,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The book is an excellent balance of the law and the emotion., April 18, 1999

By 

thomas murphy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sexual Harassment: A Practical Guide to the Law, Your Rights, and Your Options for Taking Action (Paperback)

I am an employment attorney who trains corporate america about harassment in the workplace. I found this book to be an excellent balance between the law and the emotion of sexual harassment. As I train managers and supervisors in my workshops, I intend to reference this work and use it to introduce the real pain and emotional cost of harassment. It will be an excellent training tool.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book that "gets" what sexual harassment means, April 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sexual Harassment: A Practical Guide to the Law, Your Rights, and Your Options for Taking Action (Paperback)

As a person who suffered sexual harassment in the workplace, but never knew about a "hostile work environment" and its emotional ramifications, I am very relieved to have found this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It really helped me., February 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sexual Harassment: A Practical Guide to the Law, Your Rights, and Your Options for Taking Action (Paperback)

As someone experiencing harassment, I've read everything I could get my hands on. And this book was the only one I've found that addressed my feelings and what I'm actually going through. It's amazing how my situation seems so much like the authors. While its an awful experience, at least I know now that I'm not the only one its happened to.