WhitneyDealing with Sexual Harassment at Work
February 13th 2011 15:45
Sexual harassment occurs everywhere, whether it be at home, school, shopping, or at work, and you can do something about it no matter where you are.
When it comes to sexual harassment at work, though, there are a few extra things that you can do in order to stop the harassment and make your job a little easier.
First, make sure that you are aware of what qualifies as sexual harassment. Your work may have a more explained definition, but in general, the following properties are included in sexual harassment.
* Discussing sexual activities
* Telling off-color and sexual jokes
* Unnecessary touching
* Commenting on physical attributes
* displaying sexually suggestive pictures
* Using inappropriate terms, such as "Babe"
* Using indecent gestures
* Engaging in hostile physical conduct
* Granting job favors to those who participate in consensual sexual activity
Sexual harassment creates a hostile work environment, and it's plain uncomfortable...
Trust me, I know, as there's an employee where I work who constantly harasses women at work. If he's not telling them who cute they are, he's telling them they're more than welcome to come join him after work for a drink. And, it's not in a friendly, co-worker type context. When he walks in the room, women at work cringe, and what is said is that he's a close friend of the company president, so nothing ever gets done or said because they know nothing will get done.
Just because nothing will get done, that doesn't mean that the women at my job shouldn't try to turn him in. The same goes for you at your workplace.
You want to turn in anyone who sexually harasses you. You don't have to suffer the harassment, and you don't have to deal with it.
All you have to do is go to your boss, or someone in upper management, or HR, and say something. Explain the situation and accounts that you've had. If you need to, keep a log.
You don't have to go to the person himself, or herself. Go to upper management, and ask to put in an annonymous complaint. You don't have to feel like a tattle-tale. You are only protecting yourself.
When it comes to sexual harassment at work, though, there are a few extra things that you can do in order to stop the harassment and make your job a little easier.
First, make sure that you are aware of what qualifies as sexual harassment. Your work may have a more explained definition, but in general, the following properties are included in sexual harassment.
* Discussing sexual activities
* Telling off-color and sexual jokes
* Commenting on physical attributes
* displaying sexually suggestive pictures
* Using inappropriate terms, such as "Babe"
* Using indecent gestures
* Engaging in hostile physical conduct
* Granting job favors to those who participate in consensual sexual activity
Sexual harassment creates a hostile work environment, and it's plain uncomfortable...
Trust me, I know, as there's an employee where I work who constantly harasses women at work. If he's not telling them who cute they are, he's telling them they're more than welcome to come join him after work for a drink. And, it's not in a friendly, co-worker type context. When he walks in the room, women at work cringe, and what is said is that he's a close friend of the company president, so nothing ever gets done or said because they know nothing will get done.
Just because nothing will get done, that doesn't mean that the women at my job shouldn't try to turn him in. The same goes for you at your workplace.
You want to turn in anyone who sexually harasses you. You don't have to suffer the harassment, and you don't have to deal with it.
All you have to do is go to your boss, or someone in upper management, or HR, and say something. Explain the situation and accounts that you've had. If you need to, keep a log.
You don't have to go to the person himself, or herself. Go to upper management, and ask to put in an annonymous complaint. You don't have to feel like a tattle-tale. You are only protecting yourself.
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