Every state in the US has an anti-harassment law in place for workplaces. Sexual harassment is inappropriate or immoral badgering based on a person’s sex. It may include offensive jokes, name-calling, threats, intimidation, slurs, physical assaults, etc. Surprisingly, 90% of cases go unreported.
If you or someone you know needs help in this regard, do not hesitate to reach out. It is normal to be scared or fear being retaliated against. Working with an experienced attorney from Carey & Associates, P.C. can give you the confidence you deserve.
Tips to successfully file a workplace harassment complaint
- Make use of resources.
The first thing you need to do is to check your company’s employee handbook. There might be an Equal Employment Opportunity officer from your company to file an internal complaint. However, if this is not the case, you have other options available. Call U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity and speak about your legal rights with a counselor. You can choose whether you need to file a complaint or not.
- Know the HR policies.
You must follow the Human Resources (HR) policies in your workplace. This will help you protect any legal case you may file in the future. Companies where there are more than 15 employees have an employee handbook. This file contains information on how these complaints should be handled and filed. If your employer has not provided you with any such document, speak to a sexual harassment attorney today.
- Report the conduct immediately.
Taking immediate action and reporting the misconduct at the workplace immediately does two important things. Firstly, the employer gets notified about the sexual harassment in the workplace. And secondly, it gives your employer an opportunity to take action and prevent the misconduct from happening.
- Write it down.
Write down and make a document of when and what exactly happened as soon as you experience any kind of sexual harassment at the workplace. Be detailed about everything. Record witnesses, places, dates and times. While making a report, mention whom you reported to, what happened, and what other persons said. Keep your records safely at home. Do not keep them in your workplaces.
- Do not quit your job.
Quitting your job is not an option. It will give your employer an opportunity to argue that you were not patient enough to resolve the problem. Quitting will affect your livelihood. You will not be able to recover lost wages. Also, due to job abandonment, it will be hard for you to collect unemployment benefits.
