Harassment refers to a range of behaviors that contribute to a hostile work environment.^[11] These behaviors include unwanted sexual comments or advances, sexist jokes and stories, inappropriate and unwelcome personal inquiries, gender-based bullying and sexual assault.

One of the partners liked to talk about very cursorily his lack of sex life, my sex life. He would say inappropriate things. I never did anything about it because I knew he would be part of my ladder that I would be climbing. It’s common.

Nationally, a quarter (25%) of women reported experiencing unwanted sexual comments, physical contact and/or romantic advances. A large percentage (70%) of all attorneys nationally reported encountering sexist comments, stories and jokes in the workplace. In Utah, the experience of harassment is even more widespread. Over half (53%) of women of color and a significant proportion (44%) of White women reported experiencing workplace harassment. Similarly, a large proportion of women lawyers reported experiencing an unpleasant or offensive work environment. In fact, 63% of White women and 51% of women of color reported that colleagues’ verbal or physical behavior created a hostile work environment.