Dealing with harassment in the workplace can be cause for a great deal of anxiety. Harassment may be based on gender, religion, race, age or sexual orientation. A lot of workplace harassment is sexually motivated, and takes the form of unwanted comments or gestures. Sometimes, harassment even continues outside the workplace. Stopping workplace harassment can be challenging, and frightening to some, but is a necessity if you are to do your job properly.
Employees
Step 1
Verbally object to the comments or behavior that is being directed at you in a clear and concise manner, suggests the Utah Department of Human Resource Management. Continue to state how you feel to your harasser until he understands that you will not tolerate the behavior.
Step 2
Document what is happening in a notebook or computer file. Record the date, names of people involved including possible witnesses, and exactly what the harasser said or did to you.
Step 3
Approach your direct supervisor, or human resources department, to file a formal complaint if the behavior continues and you are too uncomfortable to confront your harasser directly, advises the Utah Department of Human Resource Management. Present your documentation, and explain the type of harassment to which you have been subjected.
Employers
Step 1
Adopt a clear company policy regarding harassment in the workplace, and distribute it to new employees as part of their orientation. Outline every action that you consider to be harassment, as well as possible company actions and legal consequences for employees who commit harassment.
Step 2
Separate the two parties involved in the complaint as quickly as possible if you are a work supervisor, suggests the West Virginia Division of Personnel. This will prevent any possible intimidation or coercion on the part of the alleged harasser. Modify work schedules, or move one party to a different department as you investigate the matter.
Step 3
Notify your state's equal opportunity office to inform investigators of the complaint, and give that office an opportunity to launch an investigation, advises the West Virginia Division of Personnel. Adjust the work schedules of any witnesses to accommodate interviews during an investigation.
Tips and Warnings
- Examine whether you may be exhibiting any behaviors that could be giving your harasser the perception you want this attention, and stop those bahviors immediately if that is the case.
References
- West Virginia Division of Personnel: Supervisor's Guide to Preventing Harassment in the Workplace.
- Department of Human Resources Management: Workplace Harassment
- Brookhaven National Laboratory: Stopping Workplace Harrassment
- Utah Department of Human Resource Management: Employee Guide to Workplace Harassment Prevention
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