Miss the warning signs, stay silent too long, and a job, career path, or legal claim can slip away before action is taken. Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual conduct that interferes with someone's work, affects employment decisions, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. It can include sexual comments, repeated requests for dates, unwanted touching, sexual messages, showing explicit material, or trading job benefits for sexual cooperation. That last form is often called quid pro quo harassment, while ongoing misconduct that poisons the workplace may be a hostile work environment.

This matters fast because evidence fades, witnesses transfer, texts get deleted, and employers may deny what happened. Harassment can lead to lost wages, emotional distress, retaliation, and forced resignation. It may overlap with discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, or constructive discharge. If the conduct caused physical or psychological harm, those facts can also affect damages in a claim.

In South Carolina, workplace sexual harassment claims may be pursued under Title VII and the South Carolina Human Affairs Law. The South Carolina Human Affairs Commission enforces state protections, and timing is critical: a state charge generally must be filed within 180 days, while an EEOC charge is often due within 300 days. Waiting through one more storm season in the Midlands or Upstate can mean losing key rights.