# How can you tell if what you are experiencing is sexual harassment? > URL: https://workandgender.com/article/how-can-you-tell-if-what-you-are-experiencing-is-sexual-harassment/ > Language: en > Description: If it feels like sexual harassment, it almost certainly is—even if it's 'normal' where you work, it happens off-site, or isn't from your boss. --- Important This is just general information, not legal advice. If you need legal advice, we urge you to [find a lawyer](https://workandgender.com/article/how-to-find-and-work-with-a-lawyer/) who can help you. If you feel you’re being sexually harassed, you’re probably right. It is very rare for people to mistakenly feel like they’re being sexually harassed. You know your situation best, and if what’s happening feels to you like sexual harassment, it almost certainly is. ## You might wonder if it’s workplace sexual harassment if it **happens to everyone** and is **happening all the time** There are lots of workplaces where sexual harassment is extremely common. Like in bars and restaurants, or work environments where there are lots of men, like construction work, policing, or the military. There, the people getting harassed often see it as “just part of the job,” and sometimes they decide that must mean it’s not real sexual harassment. But it is. There may not be much you can do about it. It may be completely “normal.” It may seem like nobody cares. But it’s still workplace sexual harassment. It shouldn’t be happening, and it’s prohibited under Canadian law. ## You might wonder if it’s sexual harassment if **it’s not your boss harassing you** but somebody else It is. In fact, most workplace sexual harassers aren’t the boss. Statistically, most harassers are clients and customers, or co-workers. That is workplace sexual harassment, and it’s prohibited under Canadian law. ## You might wonder if it’s workplace sexual harassment **if it’s not happening at work** If somebody related to your work is harassing you, it’s workplace sexual harassment, even if it happens: - when you’re at home - on the street, on a bus, in a parking garage, or some other public place - at a work party, training, conference, or other work-related event - while you’re travelling (in a car, on a bus or plane, at a hotel) with co-workers to or from a workplace or work-related event Workplace sexual harassment doesn’t only happen at work. If someone from your work is sexually harassing you, it can still be considered harassment even if it happens somewhere other than at your workplace, and it’s prohibited under Canadian law. ## You might wonder if you’re being harassed for sex- or gender-based reasons, **versus whether it’s because of your race, religion, or some other reason** It’s very common for people to be unsure of exactly why they’re being harassed, or to suspect that there’s a mix of reasons. A Muslim woman may not know whether she’s being harassed because she’s Muslim or because she’s female. A gay Anishinaabe man may not know whether he’s being harassed because of his sexual orientation or because he’s Indigenous. The reality is, it shouldn’t and doesn’t matter. It’s prohibited to harass people on the basis of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, *and also*on the basis of their race/ethnicity, disability/ability status, and their religion. All those characteristics are protected, which means people can’t harass you because of them. You are not responsible for figuring out exactly why someone is harassing you. If you’re being harassed on the basis of your sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, even if you are also being harassed for other reasons, that’s workplace sexual harassment. It shouldn’t be happening, and it’s prohibited under Canadian law. --- ## Article reviewers Articles by the Centre for Work and Gender are reviewed by members of the following panel of people and organizations. Not every member reviewed every article; regional articles were reviewed by lawyers in that jurisdiction. - Kathleen Avery, LLB, lawyer, Yukon Workers’ Safety and Compensation Board - Barbara Bergmann, JD, lawyer, Workplace Sexual Harassment Clinic/Yukon Legal Services Society - Meredith Brown, JD, lawyer, Calibrate - Stephen Carpenter, LLB, lawyer, Workers Compensation Board of PEI - Amber Chisholm, JD, associate director, Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS-NB) - Callandra Cochrane, JD, lawyer, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic - Alexander Dezan, JD, legal counsel, Yukon Human Rights Commission - Sandra Guarascio, JD, lawyer, investigator, facilitator, Roper Greyell LLP Employment + Labour Lawyers - Andrea Gunraj, vice-president, public engagement, Canadian Women’s Foundation - Sara Hanson, JD, senior associate, Moore Edgar Lyster LLP - Noah Jacobs, BA, Public Legal Information Association of NL - Khurram Khurshid, LLB, research officer, New Brunswick Human Rights Commission - Raphaëlle Laframboise-Carignan, JD, lawyer, RavenLaw LLP - Kevin Love, JD, lawyer, Community Legal Assistance Society, BC - Sarah McCoubrey, BFA, JD, MEd, lawyer, Calibrate - Lesley McCullough, JD, founder and director, Workplace Sexual Harassment Legal Clinic, Yukon - Alison McEwen, JD, RavenLaw LLP - Garreth McGrath, JD, legal support navigator, Public Legal Information Association of NL - Sarah McHugh-Wade, BA, legal support navigator, the Journey Project - Sandra MacKenzie, JD, lawyer, Lawson Lundell LLP - Anna-Marie Manley, LLB, lawyer, Patterson Law - Deepa Mattoo, LLB, lawyer and executive director, Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic - Loretta Merritt, LLB, LLM, lawyer, Torkin Manes Barristers & Solicitors - Chetan Muram, JD, counsel, Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic - Gobhina Nagarajah, JD, staff solicitor, Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission - Alex Norris, JD, associate, Carbert Waite LLP - Anita Nowinka, BSc, JD, associate, Carbert Waite LLP - Kim Nutz, JD, Sunstone Legal in association with West Legal - Kevin O’Shea, JD, executive director, Public Legal Information Association of NL - Coral Rajchgot, LLB, JD, former intern, Aftermetoo - Carley Reynolds, BA, criminology; JD, counsel, Donich Law - Lucie Roubin, avocate, Juripop - Ginette Savoie, director, Workers’ Advocate, Government of New Brunswick - Paméla Schiavoni, JD, lawyer, New Brunswick Human Rights Commission - Mary Shortall, president, Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour - Morgan Sim, JD, MA, international relations, lawyer, Parker Sim LLP - Cécile Simon, JD, avocate-conseillère, Juripop, Bureau du respect de la personne - Michelle Squires, JD, project manager, Canadian Mental Health Association, York Region - Dayna Steinfeld, LLB, JD, Winnipeg lead lawyer, RavenLaw LLP - Keir Vallance, JD, lawyer, Bainbridge Jodouin Cheecham Barristers & Solicitors - Sherri Walsh, JD, managing partner, Hill Sokalski Walsh LLP - Madeleine Werker, JD, associate, Grosman Gale Fletcher Hopkins LLP - Canadian Labour Congress - The Help and Information Center on Workplace Harassment (GAIHST) - Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Commission