Dealing with harassment in the workplace can be a frustrating and difficult experience. Whether you’re experiencing it first hand or hearing about it from others, it’s never easy to deal with. But there are ways to make things easier on yourself. This blog post will discuss some of the best tips for dealing with harassment at work so that you know what your options are and how to get through these tough times as quickly as possible.
Keep a log of all incidents
One of the first things that you need to do when you encounter harassment at work is to keep track of everything. Write down any incidents in a private journal or even on the computer if it’s easier for you. The important thing here isn’t necessarily how you do it, but that you are putting these incidents into writing so that they’re documented. When you have a log of all these incidents, you can begin to see a pattern and better understand what’s going on.
Documenting evidence will help protect yourself
Another thing that you can do to protect yourself is document any evidence. If these incidents are verbal, then write down exactly what they said and who it was directed at and if possible, get witnesses. Some of the most seasoned Gold Coast employment lawyers suggest that you should also make copies of emails or text messages. Take screenshots on your phone, so there’s proof of how pervasive this harassment is. Having all the information documented will help you when it’s time to report what’s going on.
Know your rights and options
If harassment is taking place at work, then you should know what your rights are as an employee and whether or not you have many options. This is where the help of lawyers comes in handy because they can do all this legwork for you and advise you on what to do next. They will know whether or not there’s a sexual harassment policy at your workplace, how it should be implemented, and how an investigation would take place if one was requested.
Report the harassment
It might seem like reporting isn’t necessary if everything is already written down, but there are still times where this needs to be done. For example, your boss or someone else in authority may not see evidence of what happened, and they need that firsthand account so that they can take action. You also need to make sure that you report it promptly, preferably no more than 48 hours after the incident occurs, so there’s still some fresh information on record.
When you do report the matter, make sure you do it properly. Your first step should be to raise the incident internally and give your employer a chance to handle things themselves. It’s best if this is done in person so that there aren’t any confusion or unanswered questions about what happened. You can also contact an employment lawyer for confidential advice on how to proceed through this process.
Don’t tolerate the behavior
As hard as it might be to deal with harassment in the workplace, you can take steps to make things easier on yourself and stop tolerating such unacceptable behavior. If your employer doesn’t seem like they’re taking action or if you’ve reported multiple times and nothing has happened, then consider speaking with an employment lawyer. An attorney can help you understand your rights and what steps to take next if it becomes necessary.
Consider changing jobs
If it doesn’t get better after reporting the harassment to HR or your supervisor, then you can always consider changing jobs. Sometimes this is the best way to put an end to harassment because you can get away from it completely instead of just dealing with it in some capacity at your current job.
Look out for yourself first and foremost
Above all, remember that you need to prioritize your safety first and foremost. If staying at this job will make you feel miserable and unsafe, then you need to do whatever it takes to get out of there. There’s no shame in leaving if that’s what will make you happy because, at the end of the day, this job should be enjoyable for everyone involved.
Harassment in the workplace is never okay. Keep a log of all incidents and report any harassment to HR or your supervisor immediately, keeping copies of evidence on hand just in case they want to investigate further. Document what happened with time stamps for when you were harassed so that it’s easier to prove if needed. If nothing happens after reporting the incident, seek professional help and consider changing jobs if you can’t work effectively due to stress from the situation. Following these tips will make life at work better for you.
