On a farm in California, a teenage farm worker was sexually abused and propositioned while she worked, then fired after reporting the offenses.

From EEOC.gov, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Public Service Announcement, “Farm Worker Teens Discuss Discrimination and Harassment on the Job,” March 2011.

One of the groups most vulnerable to sexual abuse in the workplace is our nation’s young people. As teenagers and other young adults enter the workplace, few are aware of their rights against sexual harassment and abuse and other forms of discrimination which may occur as they apply for work or while they are employed.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal civil rights agency that enforces the laws that prohibit discrimination in employment. The real-life EEOC case cited above is only one example of the alarming problem of sexual abuse in the workplace that the Commission aims to eliminate.

The EEOC developed the following public service announcements (PSAs)—in English/inglés and in Spanish/español—to raise awareness among young people regarding their rights and the EEOC’s ability to help.

Public Service Announcements

Farm Worker Teens Discuss
Discrimination and Harassment on the Job

• You Have a Choice (English/inglés)
• Tu Tienes Una Opción (Spanish/español) 
• The Law Protects You (English/inglés) 
• La Ley Te Protégé A Ti (Spanish/español) 
• Speak Out (English/inglés) 
• Hablalo (Spanish/español) 
• Who’s Going to Believe Me? (English/inglés) 
• ¿Quien Va A Creerme? (Spanish/español)

It is imperative that young workers learn their rights and know to call the EEOC toll-free at 1-800-669-4000 if they do suffer from sexual violence or abuse at work.

For more information, visit the EEOC webpage for Employees and Job Applicants.

Special thanks to the EEOC Phoenix District Office for providing this important information to Farmworkers’ Forum.