Having a cordial, amicable relationship with your boss is always preferable to having to work for a boss who is disagreeable and argumentative; however, the line between employer and employee should remain firmly drawn.

As an employee, you don’t want to be in a situation where your boss is too friendly as that can result in a very uncomfortable work environment at the very least and could rise to the level of sexual harassment if your boss clearly crosses the line.

As an employee, what can you do if your employer has crossed that line?

For example, what if your boss is sending you naked pictures. What should you do?

While this may seem like an extreme example, employees find themselves in similar situations far more often than most people realize. Whether the work environment is a fast food restaurant or a Fortune 500 company, supervisors, managers, and others in a position of authority can, and often do, take advantage of their authority over employees who are under their supervision. When the conduct in question is of a sexual nature, it can leave an employee feeling violated, scared, and confused.

Often, an employee is afraid to say anything for fear of losing his/her job or suffering other negative employment consequences.

This, of course, is precisely what the boss is counting on and only serves to perpetuate the cycle of harassment. The good news is that there are state and federal laws that make this type of behavior in the workplace illegal.

At the federal level, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of a person’s sex.

The Florida Civil Rights Act also prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex. Both the state and federal prohibition against discrimination based on sex have been interpreted to include sexual harassment in the workplace.

Although isolated incidences of sexually based comments or actions toward an employee may not qualify as sexual harassment, sending naked photos to an employee would undoubtedly qualify. The law considers harassment to be illegal when it is “so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted).” By anyone’s standards, sending unsolicited naked pictures to an employee would be considered an “offensive work environment.”

If you find yourself in a similar situation, report the behavior at once to the company’s Human Resources department or to your boss’s supervisor if possible. Your next step should be to contact an experienced Florida employment law attorney to discuss your legal options. Being victimized by a boss can be a traumatic experience; however, the law is on your side. Contact the experienced Florida employment law attorneys at Celler Legal, P.A. by calling 954-716-8601 to schedule your appointment.