The world is filled with predators, and our workplace is no different. We have heard countless stories of people getting harassed in their work environment. Though employees earlier mainly used to put up with such atrocities at work, social movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp have brought the topic of workplace harassment under the limelight. More and more employees of all gender identities are getting vocal about their harassment stories and calling out their harassers publicly.
Workplace harassment is defined as offensive behavior that humiliates or intimidates another individual. This undesired behavior usually relates to race, gender, religion, and similar legally protected characteristics. If an employee is constantly harassed, it can violate their respect and make the work environment more hostile. Your workplace should guarantee you a safe environment so that you can unleash your skills to the fullest. However, being constantly harassed can affect your mental health and tamper with your workplace performance. If you have been facing such threats lately, you have come to the right place. Today, we will share some tips on acting out if you are at the receiving end of such inappropriate behavior.
Talk To The Harasser
Amidst all the work stress and competition, the last thing you would want is to be harassed at work. But if you are, it’s high time you speak directly with your harassers. Before you escalate the issue to higher management, this should be your first step. There are multiple instances of unwitting or accidental harassment, and adequately communicating the problems can help clarify things. Doing this can also warn the harassers who don’t realize their actions violate someone’s workplace privacy.
Discuss With Your Supervisor
We aren’t all equally vocal in sharing our concerns. If you can’t directly talk to your harasser, you can involve a supervisor. They will pass on your message to the person harassing you at work. However, relaying the message through a third party means the issues have escalated beyond your control.
Gather Necessary Evidence
Evidence to back up your claims will strengthen your charges against a harasser at work. You can gather physical evidence such as text messages, emails, and hand-written notes or letters. However, your HR and legal professionals at Ace Law in Las Vegas can help you. It would be best if the evidence comprised of people who were witnesses to your workplace harassment, specific details on the situation, including date and times, and how it adversely affected your work performance and mental health.
Often, you might not be able to gather witnesses to your workplace harassment. If this is the case, you don’t need to be bothered. Harassers are pretty smart in this matter and usually won’t do so in front of others.
Store Your Evidence Safely
Ensuring the safety of your gathered physical evidence is crucial. The last thing you want is for your employer to discover this evidence. It’s best to avoid storing it in your office drawer or work computer. Instead, consider storing it on your personal computer or in a briefcase with a numeric lock. Remember, as the issue escalates, your employer may try to prevent you from submitting the evidence. If they wrongfully terminate you, you may not be able to access your work computer or retrieve the evidence stored there.
Talk To Your HR
An HR department has to prevent harassment at work. Thus, inform them about the problems that you are facing. Every company has rules for filing such reports, and you must follow them. Doing this will help them structure future training to prevent such cases from happening. They can also analyze the existing complaint process’s loopholes to improve it in the future. It is always advisable to report in writing. Even if you lodge a verbal complaint, you should follow it up with a writing.
Get A Good Lawyer
Though your company’s HR department will look into the matter, contacting a reputed law agency with the proper skill set is advisable to bolster your case. It is obvious to feel intimidated if the top bosses at work harass you and cannot get HR on your side. In such a case, lawyers can offer an unbiased review of your case and guide you toward the best available way out. Since lawyers deal with such matters regularly, they possess the proper knowledge and skill set to help you.
Conclusion
Ideally, it is the employers’ responsibility to keep the workplace free from all types of discrimination and harassment. If the work environment starts getting hostile, it will lead to a massive compromise in employees’ productivity and morale. Ongoing workplace harassment investigations can result in expensive lawsuits and damage the company’s reputation. Organizations must promote a safety culture so all employees can comfortably speak up against harassment. Workers also need to be more proactive about the situation. They must understand that not reporting a particular situation encourages the harasser to continue preying on more employees in the coming days.
- Also read: Can Jokes Be Considered Sexual Harassment?
