It is a sad reality, but many employees face sexual harassment at work. Anyone can be harassed sexually, but women face this kind of harassment on a disproportionate basis.
Knowing what to do when you’ve been harassed is not easy. The following tips can help you.
Report the behavior
Reporting sexual harassment isn’t easy, but it is essential that you report it as soon as you feel able to. All companies should have procedures in place for reporting and dealing with this type of behavior. The Human Resources department in your company should be equipped to address the situation. Not only this, but they are legally bound to take appropriate steps.
While most companies take sexual harassment claims very seriously, a minority fail to take the appropriate measures after reports have been made. If this happens in your case, then you can consider reporting the conduct to an outside party such as San Diego County’s Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement (OLSE) and seeking further legal guidance.
Write everything down
Writing down what happened to you can be beneficial on several fronts. First, having a written account helps you report the conduct accurately to HR or the relevant authorities. Furthermore, many victims of sexual harassment find it helpful to write things down when processing what happened.
There is never an excuse for sexual harassment at work, and as the victim, you are not to blame. California law takes violations of employee rights very seriously. Seeking experienced legal guidance will give you a better idea of the steps to take to deal with the issue effectively.