Woman files lawsuit after harassment on LinkedIn

Sexual harassment can be a serious problem for an employer. With the age of the internet, using social media can help support recruiting new people to your business, but it can also turn a situation sour when harassment is involved.

For example, one site, LinkedIn, is a well-known networking platform. There, one banker was trying to recruit an industry professional. The woman and potential recruit was shocked when she received nude photos and sexual messages from the man.

This is not the only time something like this has happened on the networking site. The woman in this case argues that employers need to be held responsible for the way their employees act on the platforms, especially when they’re representing their companies. LinkedIn, she claims, should be treated as an extension of the office or a networking event.

In the woman’s case, she had briefly met the man previously when the companies they worked for had business together. He said he had a potential opportunity for her, and she expressed interest. From there, the conversation took a turn and ended with the man suggesting sexual activity. She filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment.

A spokeswoman for the online platform has said that sexual messaging is prohibited and is a violation of the user agreement. This is something that is important to know as an employee or employer. If your employee harasses someone, you could be held liable. If you’re the one harassed, you still have a right to pursue legal help to stop sexual harassment in the online workplace and on the networking site.

Source: Bloomberg, “It’s Probably Not OK to Send Naked Pictures on LinkedIn,” Polly Mosendz and Rebecca Greenfield, June 14, 2017