After-Hours Events, Conferences, and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Las Vegas is known as much for its mammoth corporate conferences and high-energy industry mixers as it is for its lively nightlife options. One of the world’s top business tourism destinations, Sin City draws wide-eyed professionals from all over the world at all times of the year seeking to meet, mingle, and expand their contact lists. At these conferences, the lines between business networking and personal socializing often become blurred. The party often gets started well before business hours end, and it sometimes does not stop until the dawn of the next business day. In these situations, it is difficult to discern where professional boundaries begin and end.
Whether it is a team-building lunch event at a hotel bar, a company happy hour on the world-famous Vegas Strip, or a late-night networking mixer at a classy casino resort lounge, after-hours work events can without warning cross the line from “fun” to hostile. And when sexual harassment happens off the clock, an employee in this unenviable situation can be left wondering: “Do I still have rights?”
Sexual Harassment Doesn’t End When the Workday Does
Many people assume that if an incident doesn’t happen in the office, it “doesn’t count” against a company’s sexual harassment policy. That is simply NOT true.
Under both Nevada state law and federal workplace harassment laws, employers can be held responsible for inappropriate conduct that occurs during work-related events, even ones with a “socializing” or “networking” focus that take place at a third-party venue.
If a supervisor, coworker, or client harasses you at a work-sponsored gathering, that is still considered workplace sexual harassment and company statues apply.
Common Scenarios That Cross the Line
Here are some situations we have witnessed often at conventions and conferences around Las Vegas:
- A coworker makes unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate comments at a company party hosted by a longtime client.
- An executive invites a subordinate to a hotel room “to talk privately” during a free time slot at a business convention.
- A networking event with a DJ and open bar turns hostile after repeated, unwanted touching, or suggestive remarks on the dance floor.
These examples are not “just social situations.” They are uncomfortable circumstances that can damage work relationships permanently and are thus potential hostile work environment claims, especially when your employer holds responsibility for creating the situation, or looks the other way while adverse behavior is happening.
Know Your Rights as a Nevada Employee
If you have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behavior at a work event, here is what you need to know:
- You have the right to file a complaint—even if the incident happened after hours.
- HR is required to take your report seriously.
- You can file a legal claim for sexual harassment or retaliation.
- You do not need to suffer in silence. Speaking up protects not only you, but your current and future coworkers as well.
What Should You Do If It Happens to You?
If you feel you were sexually harassed during a company event at any Las Vegas area social venue that you were attending for business purposes or with business colleagues, you cannot and should not have to face the aftermath alone. Save any messages, emails, or texts. Document what happened and locate witnesses and allies who can back your story. And reach out to an experienced local lawyer who understands how Las Vegas workplaces operate and their legal rules of engagement.
At Ace Law Group, we help both local and visiting employees in Las Vegas stand up to sexual harassment and protect their rights, no matter when or where the incident happened. With 15+ years of experience conducting successful discovery and litigation to defend sexual harassment victims in Clark County courtrooms, our experienced legal team can guide you through every step and fight to achieve the justice you deserve. Time is of the essence: call or email us now to schedule a free consultation.