Sexual harassment is not something uncommon and it is not that the victims of sexual harassment are always females and the perpetrators male. Under certain situations, your coworker, boss, or customer is guilty of being involved in sexual harassment at some point in time.
Did it ever happen to you? If yes, your reaction may have ranged from slight irritation to extreme devastation. In case you have been in a situation where you experience sexual harassment in the workplace at such a level that it has damaged your career, it is critical to take the right steps. Here are the steps that you should do if you have been subject to sexual harassment.
- Decide whether or not the behavior can be termed sexual harassment
Before filing a complaint with HR, you should first determine whether or not the conduct of the person can be actually termed sexual harassment. No matter what the comment is, the victim should feel offended. If one person is not the sole victim, if another person who overhears the remark is also offended, then it can be called sexual harassment. In short, the remark needs to be offensive to the concerned person.
- If it is sexual harassment, move on to the next steps
Someone who is not a part of sexual harassment may find it easy to comment, “You should have spoken at the right time when it happened to you”. But there are times when you may feel intimidated about the fact that your job may be compromised if you speak up against sexual harassment. You have to get past such feelings and have faith in your company. Complaining against sexual harassment has become easier and more acceptable.
- Follow the complaint procedures of your company
The initial step to take is to follow the procedures of a company to report sexual harassment. These steps are surely mentioned in your office handbook or will be available on the internal website of the company. Such guidelines will prompt you to report such conduct to either HR or the manager. No matter what you do, you shouldn’t take too much time to report. The law lets you wait for only 180 days from the incident.
- Pen down a complaint letter raising your voice
Though it’s okay to report sexual harassment verbally, your verbal complaint should always be followed by a formal letter. The letter should have details like a proper subject line, an accurate timeline including the names of the people, the dates, and the actions, details of what they have said and the consequences, and whether or not this behavior is ongoing.
- Decide to hire an attorney
When your company acts as promptly as it should, you may not need the help of an attorney. But if they don’t, you can hire your own workplace sexual harassment lawyer.
Therefore, if you’re the witness of or victim of sexual harassment, raise your voice. It has become a lot easier to report harassment at the workplace than before.