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Reporting Sexual Harassment
by Lala C. Ballatan
There are ways of stopping attacks of sexual harassment,
either by yourself or with the help of workmates, authorities
and by eventually filing a lawsuit. The following ways
of reporting sexual harassment incidents may not ideally
be in the order as we’re going to present it in actual
reality. You shall have to discover for yourself the best
move to compensate for the violation of your rights. And
to totally stop the unwanted sexual advances being done
to you.
Common scenario of sexual harassment is at the workplace.
At the very first signs of unwanted sexual advances toward
you, try stopping it by directly confronting the person.
If this isn’t successful, go to your supervisor or
human resources department for assistance. There may be
several informal and formal actions that will be suggested
for you and the company could do. These options range
from contacting your unit or department and informing
them of your complaint but keeping you anonymous, sending
a letter to your harasser, or speaking directly to them
to inform them that their behaviors violate the company
policy and the federal law. He may also need to be informed
that retaliation is not the way to solve his problem.
You might also be asked by the person-in-charge if you
agree to an arrangement for a carefully prepared meeting
between you and the harasser. This confrontation may help
you to confront the issue. You may also be able to work
out some sort of resolution. f you do not want to, however,
there’s no law mandating such king of meeting.
Another way of confronting sexual harassment head-on is
by having mediation proceedings. Traditional mediation,
however, should be used with great care as this form is
not always appropriate. First of all, ensure that the
mediator is has ample training and experience, you must
have an objective for the mediation and let the, describe
in detail the process to unfold. If you really do not
want to see your harasser personally, then the mediator
may talk to you and your harasser separately, going back
and forth.
Filing a formal complaint with your employer may also
be another option if you feel that your problem was not
taken seriously. But you must first know the policies
involved and how it operates. You might do this by asking
someone who have also undergone such procedures. Inquire
in advance in order that you and the accused have the
same rights and access to information, time frames and
the length of time necessary to resolve the problem. Confirm
also some oral communications by writing by giving the
person who informed you with a written communication.
If these informal methods come to no avail, it may be
time to want your harasser be punished by filing a lawsuit.
Consult with an attorney that has experience in handling
sexual harassment cases or the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC). Your state’s anti-discrimination
agency might also be able to help you.
About the Author
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