Problems in the workplace are commonplace for employees and supervisors all over the globe. Some issues that the employee and management face on the job are easily addressed and solved. On the other hand, some of the issues that arise in the workplace may take more than just an internal invention between two parties. Instead, one of the most notable involves cases of sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment is not legal in many places around the globe, especially in the U.S. where the laws are quite explicit and strict.
With that being said, here are XX things that you need to know in order to protect yourself and others from situations such as this.
1. Make Sure You Have a Complete Understanding of What Sexual Harassment is —based on the Law
Before you can claim that you are being harassed by someone in your workplace, you need to know how the law defines these actions. Thankfully, there is a lot of valuable info online that covers the scope of these activities. For instance, if you review sites like https://www.equalrights.org, you may find the different forms that this type of conduct can take. As you research for more information, you may also discover that the law will not only protect you from your management, supervisors, and co-worker but also clients and customers of the business as well. For instance, no one in any of these categories should make you feel uncomfortable by any form of unwanted touches in exchange for your next upcoming promotion. These laws are also intended to protect workers from having to listen to vulgar comments or jokes. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, if the actions of others make you feel uncomfortable at all, you need to see if their activities fall within the scope of the law that addresses sexual harassment.
2. Know Your Rights and How to Act upon
If you find that you are being placed in a position that makes your workplace space feel violated in the ways that the law addresses, it is important that you know your rights. Understanding the rights that you have to a safe and sexual harassment free environment is one of the essential keys to learning what you can do about it. For instance, if are feeling violated, it is important that you express this to the harasser. In some cases, once you tell them what your rights are, they will have a chance to back up and correct their actions. On the other hand, if they want to continue, you need to know your rights, especially as it relates to taking these issues to the next step.
Typically, the next step in this kind of workplace situation is to report the incidents to your supervisor or manager. The role that they play is essential to getting a reasonable resolution for you. For instance, once you report this information to your superiors, their job is to document the incident and have it investigated properly by someone in the organization that is assigned to follow up on these legal matters. You should also keep a formal record for yourself that details who is causing the problem that you are addressing, what department or person on the job is handling the incident, and any other related information that is needed to file a formal complaint.
5. File a Formal Complaint to Government Agencies Before Filing Your Lawsuit
It is also important to note that you have a right to sue the individual and the company if it is not addressed according to the law. Before you can take it to this level, however, there is another level that you need to raise your sexual harassment to. Since these are laws that the government has established, you need to know what they are first, especially as they pertain to filing a complaint with the EEOC. Simply stated, the claim must be filed with the EEOC before experienced West Coast Employment Lawyers can take it to court on your behalf.
3. When to Contact an External Resource Like a Sexual harrasment attorney
If your manager, supervisor, and the EEOC do not take your complaint seriously or take the necessary actions to protect and keep you safe and secure, you need to know where you should take your complaint next. Usually, your next course of action is to contact a sexual harassment attorney to file a lawsuit in court. A sexual harassment lawyer is trained in this area and they know how these claims should be addressed. Their job is to make sure that you are getting the proper protection from the harasser right immediately. It is at this point that the company and the harasser will be in the position of defending their actions. Because companies do not like to be sued for these kinds of cases and situations, it is important that they find a way to quickly remedy what is going on.
4. Take Proof of Documentation with You to Your West Coast Employment Lawyers
Before you take your complaint to an attorney, you can make your case a lot easier for them to handle if you have done your homework. Here are some tips that can assist you with your preparations.
Keep a journal of dates, times and incidents in written form. This information should be kept in a safe place offsite and not on the worksite. Record all facts so that you can leave out things that will be considered objective. Collect communications and store them in one area.
- Messages
- Emails
- Text
- Letters
All of the above will help to prove your claim of sexual harassment so there are no unnecessary disputes or confusion in what is actually happening. Your employment attorney will ask for this type of information so that they can use the documents and communications in proving your claim. This is one of the primary reasons why you should keep all of the documentation that you have gathered.