While many men won’t come out and say so, the truth is that they are sometimes victims of sexual harassment on the job. It’s less likely for a man to report sexual harassment than a woman, but that is largely because of a misplaced sense that they will be mocked or made fun of, not be taken seriously or dismissed when they claim that they’ve been harassed.
It is perfectly possible for a man to be a victim of sexual harassment by a client, co-worker, supervisor or other colleague. They could be victimized by another man or a woman.
As a man, there are a few things you should do if you believe that you’re being harassed while at work. Some steps to take include:
- Keeping a journal or list of the dates of occurrences and what happened to you. You should write down the names of witnesses, save emails and keep track of the reports you make to the human resources department.
- Talk to your supervisor (unless they’re the harasser). When possible, talk to your supervisor about what’s happening. You should write down what they say and the actions they plan to take.
- Report the behavior. Let your human resources department, union representative, affirmative action administrator or other superior or resource officer know about what’s happening, so they can step in and help.
- Finally, ask other people if they’ve been harassed, too. Having multiple witnesses or others who have gone through the same problems with this worker may help your case.
At the end of the day, you have a right to work in a safe environment. You can speak out against harassment.
