Sexual Harassment by Industry in New York

We Represent Employees Facing Harassment in Every Industry

At Phillips & Associates, PLLC, we represent employees harassed in restaurants, law firms, hospitals, trading floors, and every other industry across New York. Sexual harassment isn't confined to Hollywood sets or executive boardrooms. It happens in kitchens, on retail floors, and in operating rooms, often to workers with the least power to push back.

We understand the pressures unique to each industry. The tipped worker who fears losing income if she speaks up. The law firm associate whose career depends on a partner's approval. The healthcare worker navigating a rigid chain of command. We build cases around those realities.

• $360M+ recovered for 9,500+ employees 
• 11 attorneys named to Super Lawyers®, plus U.S. News Best Law Firms recognition
• Every case reviewed by a senior attorney from day one
• Regularly asked to comment on workplace harassment by NBC, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post

Call (866) 229-9441 contact us onlinefor a FREE, confidential consultation with a sexual harassment attorney who understands your industry.

Case Results Across Industries

We handle sexual harassment cases across every industry. Some examples of what we've obtained for clients include:

• $5,000,000 — Law Firm Sexual Harassment: A pre-litigation resolution for an equity partner whose senior partner pursued a relationship with her, threatened her career when she tried to end it, and withheld bonuses and equity given to male counterparts.
• $3,375,000 — Healthcare Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination: A settlement for two long-standing employees harassed by their company's chief executive.
• $1,500,000 — Hospitality Sexual Harassment: A pre-suit settlement for an employee harassed by her employer's founder.
• $590,000 — Fashion Industry Pregnancy Discrimination: A pre-litigation settlement for a fashion executive at a well-known clothing brand.
• $565,000 — Media and Entertainment Sexual Harassment and Retaliation: A settlement for a Broadway actor harassed by a producer and terminated after taking paternity leave and complaining.
• $532,000 — Financial Industry Sexual Harassment: A settlement for an investment bank employee groped by a supervisor at an after-work event.
• $302,500 — Construction and Manufacturing Harassment and Retaliation: A settlement at private mediation for a logistics specialist subjected to race and gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation by the company owner.

See More Results

Key Takeaways

• Harassment is illegal in every industry, though the patterns of misconduct and retaliation differ by sector.
• Evidence isn't limited to a formal complaint. Texts, emails, call logs, and witness accounts can all support a claim.
• An internal HR investigation that goes nowhere doesn't mean you're out of options.
• Filing deadlines depend on which law applies to your claim, and some run longer than people expect.

On This Page

• Harassment by industry: what the data shows
• How harassment shows up across industries
• Vulnerable and intersectional populations
• Your legal rights under NY and NYC law
• What to do if you're harassed
• Retaliation protections
• FAQ

Headlines about workplace sexual harassment tend to focus on Hollywood, politics, and other high-profile industries. Most cases never make headlines. Women of color are especially vulnerable in low-wage service industries like restaurants and hotels, where harassment is common, and reporting carries real financial risk.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and the New York City Human Rights Law all prohibit sexual harassment regardless of industry. A widely cited analysis of 85,000 sexual harassment charges filed with the EEOC between 2005 and 2015 found that harassment occurs across nearly every sector, though at different rates. Women brought around 80% of these charges, though men experience harassment too.

From 2005 to 2015, sexual harassment charges were filed at the EEOC in the following industries:

• Accommodation and Food Services: 14.23%
• Retail Trade: 13.44%
• Manufacturing: 11.72%
• Health Care and Social Assistance: 11.48%
• Administrative Support, Waste Management and Remediation: 6.92%
• Public Administration: 6.48%
• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 5.73%
• Transportation and Warehousing: 4.94%
• Finance and Insurance: 3.98%
• Educational Services: 3.98%
• Information Industry: 2.87%
• Construction: 2.52%
• Wholesale Trade: 2.27%
• Real Estate Rental and Leasing: 1.95%
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation: 1.61%

Industries like agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, and utilities each accounted for less than 1% of charges filed.

We handle sexual harassment cases across every industry, including:

• Food and Hospitality: Employees in restaurant and hotel jobs often face harassment from both customers and supervisors, including unwanted touching and coercive requests tied to tips. Because so much income depends on customer interaction, workers frequently stay quiet to protect their earnings.
• Law Firms: Harassment by senior partners or colleagues can create a toxic environment that's difficult to report without fear of career consequences, especially when the harasser controls assignments, compensation, or partnership track.
• Nightclubs: Dancers, bartenders, waitstaff, and security personnel may face harassment from customers, managers, or coworkers, with pressure to tolerate misconduct rather than risk tips or a shift.
• Massage Therapy: Clients aren't the only source of harassment in this industry. Employees can also face unwanted comments, physical advances, or demands from bosses tied to shift assignments or promotions.
• Wall Street and Financial Services: High-pressure, male-dominated trading floors and deal teams can normalize harassment that goes unreported for years.
• Healthcare and Social Assistance: Nurses and support staff frequently face harassment from patients and coworkers, and the hierarchical structure of many healthcare settings and hospitals can leave victims feeling powerless to report.
• Retail and Customer Service: Employees who rely on commissions or tips often fear that reporting harassment will cost them income or invite retaliation from management.
• Construction and Manufacturing: These traditionally male-dominated industries tend to see more overt harassment, and women in these fields often report a lack of support for speaking up.
• Fashion: Professional boundaries are frequently blurred in fashion, where photographers, designers, and executives hold outsized influence over careers.
• Media and Entertainment: Steep power imbalances between producers, executives, and performing talent can create conditions for harassment and retaliation against those who complain.
• Advertising: Intense agency cultures can normalize behavior that would be flagged elsewhere, and career concerns often keep employees from reporting harassment by clients, colleagues, or agency leaders.

Women of color, LGBTQ+ employees, and people with disabilities face disproportionate rates of sexual harassment, particularly in industries like food service and hospitality. These groups often face compounding barriers to reporting, from fear of losing income to skepticism about whether a complaint will be taken seriously. Understanding these overlapping risks matters when building a claim, because the same conduct can carry different legal and practical implications depending on who experiences it.

Sexual harassment is illegal in every industry, and several overlapping laws protect New York employees:

• New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL): Since 2019 amendments took effect, the NYSHRL applies to employers of any size. There's no minimum employee count for coverage.
• New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL): For gender-based harassment claims, the NYCHRL applies to employers of any size, down to a single employee, following the 2018 Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act. It also provides some of the strongest anti-retaliation protections in the country: if you report harassment in good faith, your employer cannot retaliate against you, even if an investigation later finds the conduct didn't rise to an actionable level.

No matter your job or your employer's size, you're protected under federal, state, and local law.

1. Document the harassment. Keep detailed notes on incidents, including dates, times, and any communications that could serve as evidence.
2. Report the harassment. Notify your employer, manager, or HR department, and put it in writing if you can.
3. Talk to a lawyer. An attorney can help you understand your options and how to preserve your claim while you decide what to do next.
4. File a formal complaint if needed. If your employer doesn't act, you can file with the EEOC or your local Human Rights Commission.

Why Don't More People Report?

Employees in low-wage or unstable jobs often face real barriers to reporting: fear of retaliation, job loss, or being frozen out at work. Anti-retaliation laws exist precisely because these fears are common, and they protect employees who report harassment in good faith.

Retaliation can include demotion, termination, or renewed harassment after a report is made. Under the NYCHRL, retaliation is prohibited even if you turn out to be mistaken about the underlying harassment, as long as your complaint was made in good faith.

Courts have continued to strengthen these protections in recent years, including for employees retaliated against based on a coworker's fabricated account rather than the harasser's own conduct. 

What Should I Do If My Manager Is the One Harassing Me? 

Report the harassment to another trusted authority, such as HR, and keep detailed records of what happened, including dates, times, and witnesses. An attorney can help you figure out the safest and most effective way to move forward.

Is It Sexual Harassment If My Job Involves Physical Touch?

Often, yes. Jobs like massage therapy involve touch as part of the work itself, but that doesn't give a boss or coworker license to make unwanted advances, comments, or demands tied to your job. Conduct that goes beyond the professional scope of your role can still be unlawful harassment.

Can a Customer Be Responsible for Harassing Me at Work? 

Yes. Under the NYCHRL, an employer can be held responsible for harassment by a customer or client, not just a coworker or supervisor, if the employer knew about the conduct and failed to act. This matters most in industries like restaurants, retail, and hospitality.

Does Harassment at a Work Dinner or Networking Event Count as Workplace Harassment? 

It can. Conduct that occurs at a work dinner, industry event, or business trip outside the office may still count as part of your work environment, particularly in industries like law and finance, where these events are routine.

Will I Face Retaliation If I Report Harassment? 

Not necessarily, and it's illegal for your employer to punish you for reporting in good faith. If you're demoted, fired, or otherwise penalized for speaking up, you may have a separate retaliation claim in addition to your harassment claim.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim? 

It depends on which law applies. NYSHRL and NYCHRL claims generally allow up to three years. EEOC charges typically must be filed within 300 days in New York. An attorney can tell you which deadlines apply to your situation.

Do I Need Proof Before Speaking with a Lawyer?

No. You don't need a complete case to ask for help. An attorney can help you gather available documents, emails, texts, and call logs, and your own account of what happened is a valid starting point.

Call For a Free Case Review: (866) 229-9441

We understand how degrading workplace sexual harassment can be, and we've represented employees across nearly every industry in New York City and beyond. If you're dealing with harassment at work, Phillips & Associates, PLLC can help.

We are ready to advise you on your options for legal recourse. Call (866) 229-9441for a free consultation with an experienced New York industry sexual harassment attorney.