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How Much Time Does a Victim Have to File a Sexual Harassment Claim in North Dakota?


— December 10, 2021

There are several laws that protect employees from being harassed in a sexual way when they are in the workplace.


From the date of the sexual harassment incident, individuals have 180 days to file a complaint according to Federal law. However, in North Dakota, state laws allow a person 300 days from the date of the incident to come forward and inform the courts of the abuse they were subjected to, so a person has more time. If a person fails to file their claim before the deadline, then their claim will be dismissed, and they will likely find themselves unable to recover any sort of compensation for the damages suffered.

All victims of sexual harassment should make sure they act as soon as possible and that they do not delay the legalities in the least. If they end up taking too much time, they risk losing any chance they had at getting proper justice for the pain and humiliation the other individual put them through. It can feel very intimidating to speak out against a harasser, and many employees do not do this because they fear their job will be at risk or that matters will escalate even further without getting resolved.

Image of a Workplace Discrimination Graphic
Workplace Discrimination Graphic; image courtesy of mohamed_hassan via Pixabay, www.pixabay.com

However, all employees need to understand that they have rights, and their safety and opinion needs to be taken seriously. No one should be going to work and feeling like they are in danger from any direction. Work is already as stressful as it is, employees do not need to further add to their stress by working in an unfair and discriminatory environment. Sexual harassment in particular is very dangerous and can lead to a person suffering on both a physical and psychological level. The damage caused by such atrocious acts often lasts many years or possibly even a lifetime and extends over to every aspect of the victim’s life, and that is why it is taken so seriously by the law.

Are there state laws that protect against sexual harassment in North Dakota?

There are several laws that protect employees from being harassed in a sexual way when they are in the workplace. One of these laws is the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Another act is the Human Rights Act. Anyone who has suffered verifiable sexual harassment at their workplace should get in touch with a sexual harassment lawyer so they can pursue a claim against the employer or the liable party.

It is vital to keep in mind that the employer has the heavy responsibility of making sure their employees are working in a safe environment. If an investigation is conducted and it is determined that the company did not take the required measures to protect their employee, then the company will have to face the dire legal consequences. 

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