Know What Constitutes Sexual Harassment

No employee should have to deal with sexual harassment of any sort. What many people don’t realize is that not all sexual harassment involves actually touching. In fact, there might not be any physical contact present at all.

In all situations of sexual harassment, the key point is that the gestures aren’t welcomed. This means that you can’t ask a co-worker for a kiss and then scream sexual harassment when you get that kiss. It usually helps if you make a clear statement that lets everyone know that the behavior isn’t acceptable. Simply telling the person to quit might be sufficient.

While it is true that physical harassment, such as an inappropriate squeeze on your body, is one of the most noticeable forms of sexual harassment, there are other forms as well. You can be the victim of sexual harassment for having to listen to co-workers have a sexually explicit conversation or from seeking materials that are geared toward sexual information.

You can also be the victim of sexual harassment if you witness another person being sexually harassed. For example, if you watch a manager grope on one of your co-workers, you can report the behavior as long as it wasn’t welcomed.

All companies should have a clear chain of events to follow when sexual harassment is reported. This can include a list of representatives who you can file the initial complaint with. It is necessary for businesses to take these complaints seriously and to implement an immediate measure to address the current state of affairs. If they don’t address the issue, you might opt to pursue further legal action.

Source: FindLaw, “What is Sexual Harassment?,” accessed June 08, 2018