(WTRF) For many Americans, it can seem like we spend more time at the workplace than at home, creating a unique dynamic and special relationships for work colleagues.

There are some who take advantage of this dynamic, however, and cross the line between playful banter to inappropriate comments and behavior that can lead to sexual harassment.

Legal funding experts Mayfair Legal Funding recently conducted a study to find which states have the highest rates of workplace sexual harassment charges.

The funding experts investigated US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) data between 2018 and 2021 in all 50 states to measure the charges for every 100,000 people in each state to reveal the top 10.

West Virginia takes the top spot for sexual harassment charges, with 367 charges in the workplace and a rate of 5.12 per 100,000 people.

The Mountain State maintains this number one spot despite data showing an 82% decrease in charges in the three years the study was conducted. A total of 218 charges were filed in 2018, but in 2021, only 40 were filed.

With a rate of 4.57 people per 100,000, Kansas is bringing up second place with 547 charges filed. Like West Virginia, Kansas also saw a decrease in sexual harassment charges, with a 52 percent decrease from 2018 to 2021.

The study shows despite having over 1,000 charges, Missouri ranks slightly lower with a rate of 4.57 per 100,00 people due to the state’s larger population. Following the decrease trend, the Show-Me state also had a decrease in charges filed, seeing 46 percent less in 2021.

Nevada and Alabama close in the fourth and fifth spots with rates of 4.37 and 4.17 per 100,000 people, respectively. Data shows that Nevada had less than 100 charges filed in 2020 and 2021, which could be attributed to the ability to work from home.

Coming in sixth place, Mississippi is the only state to see a 5 percent increase between 2020 and 2021. A total of 462 charges were filed between 2018 and 2021 for a rate of 3.91.

Completing the top ten is Georgia, with a rate of 3.83 for seventh place. Tennessee, Illinois, and Arkansas bring in the eighth, ninth, and tenth spots with rates of 3.52, 3.37, and 3.27 per 100,000 people.

(Video in the story shows the top stories for Friday, December 22, 2023)