Any type of harassment at work can harm employees and the whole organization. If you are subject to uninvited sexual contact, favors or advances, you may file a sexual harassment complaint.
If you plan to report the incident, you should consider factors that may impact the complaint’s validity. Victims and spectators of these incidents can make statements regarding the harassment, but the information might only be valid after taking specific measures.
Putting the complaint in writing
As an employee, you can contact an HR representative and verbally provide details about the sexual harassment incident. Still, this is only the first step to making a formal report about the misconduct. Aside from sharing it with HR, documenting the incident in a written complaint can help, including details of how it happened.
Doing so preserves an accurate narrative describing how the sexual harassment happened. Some might consider it too much, but this step could be necessary if the complaint escalates into a lawsuit.
Reporting incidents promptly
If you intend to report an incident, you should act immediately. Doing so can help employers and other authorized entities to respond appropriately or take action to address the complaint. However, there is no strict deadline for filing sexual harassment complaints.
Authorities acknowledge how victims might need time and space to process the incident before acting, making it appropriate to remove any deadlines. Reporting a sexual harassment incident right away is not a requirement. But it may be beneficial, depending on the circumstances.
Protecting employees against sexual harassment
Aside from protecting how you report incidents, the law also has provisions against retaliation caused by the sexual harassment complaint. This behavior is a clear violation, potentially leading to severe penalties or reprimand. As a sexual harassment victim or witness, you should not fear filing a complaint, especially since the law is on your side.
