Feeling harassed in any setting can be disconcerting. When sexual harassment takes place at work, it can be even more difficult to face as individuals have to return to their jobs day after day. Fortunately, individuals in this type of position can take steps to report the misconduct and harassing behaviors they have faced.
California workers may want to remember that behaviors must be continuous and troublesome to be considered harassment. If individuals believe they have valid reason to make a complaint, they may first want to review their employee handbook or policies to determine the companies stance on anti-harassment and anti-discrimination efforts. Typically, company policies will also include ways in which workers can go about filing complaints with the proper department, such as human resources, in order to have their concerns addressed.
Victims may also want to gather evidence that could help bolster their claims. Any physical evidence, such as vulgar emails or photographs from co-workers, and witness statements could work as evidence as well as documentation of when the acts occurred and who they involved. Once the claim is filed, the applicable superiors should review and investigate the situation.
Of course, not every case is handled properly. In some cases, no investigation takes place or the investigation is not taken seriously. When this occurs, victims of sexual harassment in the workplace may feel the need to take further action, and luckily, they have legal options for doing so. They could contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in regard to potentially filing a lawsuit as well as speak with knowledgeable California attorneys about viable legal avenues.
Source: NBC Los Angeles, “What to Know About Reporting Workplace Harassment“, May 25, 2018