As a victim of workplace sexual harassment, you may be surprised to find yourself in this position. However, what’s done is done and now you need to take action to protect yourself, your legal rights and your future employment.
Here are some of the many mistakes that victims of workplace sexual harassment often make:
- Keeping quiet: Don’t fall into the trap of believing that this is the best way to make your harasser stop. In fact, if you remain quiet, they may assume that you don’t mind their advances. Don’t waste a single second speaking up and telling the person that you’re uncomfortable.
- Neglecting to report the incident: Not only should you tell your harasser to stop, but you should file a formal complaint with the HR department. This gives you the opportunity to put your complaint in writing. It also forces your company to look into the accusations.
- Letting your employer retaliate against you: You hope that your employer understands the severity of the situation, but it’s possible they could take the other person’s side and retaliate against you. This comes in many forms, ranging from demotion to termination to a pay cut.
If you’re the victim of workplace sexual harassment, don’t let anyone tell you that there’s nothing you can do. Your safety, health and well-being are entirely too important to ignore. Furthermore, you also have legal rights as an employee.
Depending on the circumstances, there may come a point when you need to take action against your employer. Don’t hold back from doing so, as this can affect your professional career and personal life.
