Working from home can feel safer than an office, until a manager starts sending late-night messages that cross the line or a coworker turns a routine Zoom meeting into a stream of comments about how you look. What is supposed to be a flexible, private workspace can quickly feel invaded when harassment follows you onto your screen. Many New York employees are discovering that remote and hybrid setups have changed how harassment shows up, not whether it exists.
Remote work blurs lines between work and home, work devices and personal phones, and time on the clock and time off. When someone in a position of power misuses chat, email, or video tools, you might feel trapped and unsure whether the law still protects you in your own apartment or house. You may worry you are overreacting, especially if colleagues or HR minimize what happened as a joke or misunderstanding.
At Brown Kwon & Lam, we focus our practice on employment law for workers across New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, New York State, and New Jersey, including sexual harassment claims that arise in remote and hybrid workplaces. Because we speak directly with employees dealing with these issues, we see how online harassment actually unfolds, how New York law applies, and how employers respond in real life. In this guide, we share how remote work has changed harassment, what New York law says, how to document and report problems, and when it makes sense to talk with us about your options.
How Remote Work Has Changed Sexual Harassment In New York
Sexual harassment used to be associated mainly with in-person conduct, such as comments in a conference room or unwanted touching in a hallway. Remote work has not removed those risks for people who still come in part-time, but it has shifted much of the behavior into digital spaces. Instead of walking by your desk, a harasser can send repeated messages in Slack, share inappropriate memes in a team chat, or make sexual remarks during a virtual meeting.
The power of these tools comes from constant access. Supervisors and coworkers can reach you during off-hours, on weekends, and while you are sitting at your kitchen table. That can make it harder to step away or feel like you have any real break from the person targeting you. The lack of physical proximity does not erase the stress, embarrassment, or fear that comes with ongoing sexual comments, pressure, or innuendo.
Under New York law, the focus is not on whether misconduct happens inside a brick-and-mortar office. The question is whether the conduct is unwelcome and tied to your employment. Messages sent on work platforms, through work email, or by someone you only know through your job can all be part of your work environment, even if you are reading them on your couch in Queens or on Long Island. Because we regularly counsel remote and hybrid employees on these issues, we see that New York agencies and courts are applying harassment laws to modern remote setups.
What Remote Work Harassment Looks Like In Real Life
Many people experiencing remote harassment are unsure whether what they are dealing with is bad enough to count. The digital setting can make everything feel less serious, especially if the person targeting you insists they are just joking or claims that virtual spaces are more relaxed. Looking at specific scenarios can help you recognize patterns that New York law may treat as harassment.
One common pattern involves repeated direct messages on platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or internal chat tools. A supervisor or coworker might start with comments about your profile photo or appearance on a video call, then shift into flirting, late-night messages about your personal life, or sexual jokes. You may have tried to ignore or deflect, but the messages keep coming, and you feel anxious every time a new notification appears.
Video meetings create their own problems. Someone might make comments about your body or living space in front of the group, change their background to something sexual, or appear partially undressed on camera. Others may talk over you, direct crude jokes at you, or engage in private chat with you while you are trying to focus. If you are a woman, LGBTQ+, or a member of another protected group, those comments may also tie into stereotypes about your identity and increase the harm.
Harassment can also come through email and text. For example, a manager may send you explicit images, links to sexual content, or invitations to meet one-on-one in ways that clearly have nothing to do with work. They may do this from a personal email or phone, but if the only reason they have that contact information is your job, and the exchanges are tied to your position, this still connects back to your employment. We routinely hear from New York employees who are dealing with combinations of these behaviors, which often escalate over weeks or months if no one intervenes.
New York Law Still Protects Remote Employees From Harassment
Many remote workers assume that because they are at home, or because messages arrive on a personal phone, harassment is somehow outside the law. New York law takes a much broader view. If conduct is connected to your job, affects your work conditions, or creates a hostile environment for you as an employee, it may qualify as sexual harassment regardless of where you are sitting when you receive it.
New York State and New York City laws both prohibit sexual harassment as a form of discrimination. In plain terms, this covers unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or visual conduct of a sexual nature that interferes with your work or creates an intimidating, hostile environment, or offensive environment. In recent years, New York has moved away from older federal language that required conduct to be severe and pervasive to be illegal. The standard is more protective for workers, and a single serious incident can be enough.
Remote settings do not change that standard. If your supervisor pressures you for a sexual relationship during remote one-on-one meetings, or if a coworker sends repeated explicit messages in a work chat that make it hard for you to do your job, those facts can support a harassment claim. The same is true if you are excluded from projects or meetings after you refuse advances or complain about behavior, which can also raise retaliation concerns.
Jurisdiction matters too. If you work from home in New York City for a company based elsewhere, you may still be protected by New York City and New York State laws. If you work for a New York-based employer while living in another state, the details get more complex, and it can be helpful to speak with a lawyer about which laws apply and where a claim could be filed. Our attorneys have federal and state court experience, and we regularly evaluate where claims can be brought for employees across New York.
Employer Responsibility For Remote Work Harassment
Another common misconception is that employers are not responsible for what happens on personal devices or during off-hours. In reality, New York law can hold employers accountable when harassment occurs through work-related communication, involves supervisors, or continues after the company learns about it and fails to respond appropriately. Remote and hybrid work make this more complicated, but they do not erase employer duties.
Employers are expected to have policies and training that address sexual harassment in all work settings. That includes clarifying what is acceptable conduct on video calls, email, and chat platforms, and providing accessible ways for remote staff to report problems. If a company ignores remote harassment or treats it as private because it happened over a direct message, that choice can increase its risk of liability when harm continues, and employees feel they have no safe channel to speak up.
Liability works differently depending on who is involved. If a supervisor harasses you, the employer is often held responsible more directly, especially when the harassment affects pay, assignments, or job security. If a coworker or client harasses you, the focus shifts to whether the company knew or should have known about the problem and what it did in response. For remote employees, that notice can come through emails to HR, online complaint portals, or documented conversations with managers about chat or video behavior.
In our work at Brown Kwon & Lam, we have seen how employers defend remote harassment cases. Many argue that messages were personal, that employees consented to informal chats, or that conduct outside certain hours is not work-related. Because we have represented both employees and employers in employment disputes, we understand how these arguments are built and what facts can undercut them, such as clear patterns of unwelcome conduct, prior complaints, or policy gaps that ignore remote platforms.
How To Report Remote Work Harassment And Protect Yourself
Knowing that conduct is wrong is one thing; deciding what to do is another. Remote workers in New York often feel that no one will take them seriously if they report behavior that happened in direct messages, or that speaking up will cost them their job. A clear step-by-step approach can help you move from uncertainty to a plan that balances your safety, your livelihood, and your legal rights.
Internal reporting usually comes first, unless there is a strong reason to go straight to an outside agency or attorney. Many employers have harassment policies that explain how to file a complaint, whether through HR, a designated email inbox, or an online portal. Where possible, make your report in writing, describe the conduct in specific terms, and attach or reference relevant screenshots or emails. Keeping a copy of whatever you submit, and any responses you receive, can be important later.
You also have external options. In New York, employees can typically file with the New York State Division of Human Rights or, if they work in the five boroughs, the NYC Commission on Human Rights. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may also be an option for certain claims. Each agency has its own process and deadlines, which can be affected by whether you start with one or the other and whether you also intend to file a lawsuit. Talking with a lawyer early can help you avoid missing important windows or limiting your options by mistake.
Retaliation is a real concern, especially for remote employees whose supervisors control assignments, meeting invites, and performance evaluations. Retaliation can look like being cut out of key emails, losing responsibilities, suddenly receiving negative reviews after years of positive feedback, or being told you must return to the office when others are allowed to stay remote. New York law protects you when you oppose or report harassment in good faith, even if an investigation later disagrees with your view. At Brown Kwon & Lam, we focus on strategies that account for these dynamics and help clients protect both their legal position and their immediate income where possible.
When It Makes Sense To Contact A New York Employment Attorney
Not every uncomfortable interaction leads to a formal claim, but there are clear points where it is wise to talk with a New York employment attorney about remote work harassment. If the conduct is ongoing, if internal complaints have been ignored or dismissed, if you are seeing signs of retaliation, or if you are being asked to sign something you do not understand, it is time to get informed advice. The same is true if your employment contract includes arbitration or other dispute resolution clauses that might affect your options and filing timelines.
When someone contacts Brown Kwon & Lam about remote harassment, we typically ask about the roles of the people involved, how the conduct started and changed over time, what digital records exist, and how the employer has responded so far. We also review any policies, handbooks, or contracts the employee has, looking for deadlines, arbitration requirements, and internal reporting expectations. This helps us understand the full context and align our recommendations with the client’s goals, whether that is stopping the behavior, securing a separation package, or pursuing a formal claim.
Clients who choose to work with us communicate directly with the partners handling their matters, from initial consultation through resolution. That direct connection is especially important in harassment cases, where trust and privacy are central. Our team has obtained millions in recoveries and favorable judgments in complex employment disputes, and we have resolved many matters through mediation and arbitration, which can provide timely, cost-conscious outcomes. We approach each case with empathy and a practical plan tailored to the realities of the client’s workplace.
Talk With A New York Employment Lawyer About Remote Work Harassment
Remote work should not mean accepting harassment in silence or feeling unsafe in your own home every time a notification chimes. New York law protects employees from sexual harassment even when it happens through chats, emails, or video calls, and the digital record of what occurred can be a powerful tool if it is preserved and used wisely. You do not have to figure out alone whether your situation crosses the legal line or what steps make sense next.
If you are dealing with remote work harassment in New York, or you are worried about retaliation for speaking up, we invite you to reach out to Brown Kwon & Lam at (212) 295-5828 for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to your story, review your documentation, and walk you through realistic options that reflect both your rights and your goals. Together, we can build a plan to protect your dignity and your career.