Most women have encountered sexual harassment in one way or another, at work. Men face the consequences of their actions, but sexual harassment still continues to thrive within the society. What is sexual harassment? It can be interpreted in many ways. If your co-worker or boss hugs you too long and you feel weird that is sexual harassment, but understand that to another person that hug would bring a smile. The act can be innocent or harassment depending on the people involved. This makes sexual harassment tricky to define, but the actions are not used to define it, but the feelings the action brings out define sexual harassment. If it brings out the feelings of fight, flight and makes you uncomfortable; that’s sexual harassment.
Steps to take when dealing with sexual harassment
- Face the harasser
Confront the person harassing you and let them know that the particular action they did was inappropriate. It will sound blunt nevertheless ask them to ‘stop.’ Emphasize it that they should stop for others around you to hear. Don’t make any apologizes for it, even if it might be embarrassing.
- Document it
If something inappropriate happens, write it down in detail, write down the place, date, names of people involved, time and most importantly record exactly the action. Create a record over time because things that you blush off thinking you are too sensitive, but when you write it down and follow it you might actually find out that you are not over reacting. As you record when and where you had a conversation with the offender telling them their actions are inappropriate.
- Use the employer’s procedure on the cause of action
If the sexual harassment persists even after confronting the offender, check if your company has a detailed procedure for handling such claims. If the company has stated that the offender be reported to a designated person, see to it you do exactly that before taking any other step. If there are no set procedures in dealing with such in the company report to your immediate supervisor.
- Report it
If there are demands for sex or sexual touches do not be silent, report it. Sexual touch is sexual assault, when it happens without the consent of the individual. This means any sexual touching through clothing or directly by the harasser is sexual harassment. If you have heard a conversation with the harasser and they turn violent and / or abusive you have the right to report it. It is appropriate to report to the HR department, but if the harassment is from the HR personality report them to a high ranking person in the company. What if you are sexually harassed by your boss? Whom do you report to? It is not unheard off that bosses will sexually harass their juniors and scare them off by telling them there is nothing they can do about it. This is the point at which you should consult a lawyer not with the intentions of suing the offender, but for the lawyer to intervene for you. The lawyer will contact the boss and talk about it amicably and if there is no change or the situations becomes worse, you can give the lawyer a go ahead to take a legal action.
As you report to the HR it is not necessarily because they are your friend. The HR has a role to protect the image of the company. So impartial investigations on your issue might be done and no major action might be taken on the offender. Document the response you get from reporting the case to the authorities or HR department.
- Talk to trustworthy and supportive co-workers
If it is happening to you it might have happened to other people also. This means an offender will have a history with other coworkers. It is important that you let another person in on this because sometimes sexual offenders in workplaces find a way around these situations. If they are senior than you at work they might create a harsh working environment for you causing you to resign or sometimes fire you unfairly. In very rare cases, some women end up with physical damage and in some cases it is permanent.
- Seek legal action
When sexual harassment causes you to be demoted or lose your job contact a civil rights attorney. The law has put in place rights which make sure that the work environment free from sexual harassment. If no appropriate steps are taken by your management a civil rights attorney will help sue the offender or even the employer. If physically attacked record a full statement at the police station and take the proof you have gathered so far. Seek legal intervention on the issue.
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If sexual harassment takes a toll on you emotionally leading you to believe that it has happened only to you; seek support groups which help victims heal and feel empowered. You are not alone in this.
