Office harassment is a serious issue and many persons, both men and women have been a victim of it. There are different kinds of office harassments, among them the most common and serious type of harassment is sexual harassment.
What is Office or Workplace Harassment?
Workplace harassment is something that can occur when one party or person demonstrates some behavior at the workplace that can cause harassment or distress to another party.
The different types of workplace harassment are abusing, usage of insulting language, bad comments or nonverbal gestures. Workplace harassment can also be sexual harassment or stalking or even revenge porn. If you are a victim of workplace harassment, you need to take actions and get in touch with your HR department or file a complaint with EEOC – Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Before you file the complaint you need to make sure the issue you are reporting comes under office harassment.
Tips to Prevent Workplace or Office Harassment
1. Know About Workplace Harassment: Most people do not know what office harassment is or what all things come under workplace harassment. Workplace harassment does not only include sexual harassment, it includes use of bad language, discrimination based on sex, caste, and religion and skin color. Workplace harassment also includes non-verbal gesture. Therefore, it is important to know about workplace harassment and make your employees or co-workers aware of it.
2. Set a Workplace Harassment Policy: It is important to set workplace harassment policy clearly so that every employee in the office is aware of it and are on the same page. The policy should clearly define what office harassment is and what the different types of office harassment are and what the consequences are if someone commits office harassment. The policy also needs to describe what should an employee do in case he or she has suffered office harassment. The person to whom office harassment should be reported should be clearly mentioned in the policy so that all are aware of what to do when faced with office harassment.
3. Explain the Policy: Creating the workplace harassment policy is not enough, you need to educate the employees and clearly explain to them the different types of workplace harassment and how to deal with them.
4. Train the Employees: In order to take a strong stand against workplace harassment, training your employees is essential. Regular training should be given to both the employees and person who is in charge of handling workplace harassment cases so that they all are aware of the latest changes in workplace harassment law, know how to report it and how to go about it.
5. Protect Your Personal Data: Prevention is better than cure. It is always good to protect your personal data and do not share more information with your co-workers. This includes sharing personal data such as photos, videos, and other personal information’s is not good, as it can be misused.
Filing an Office Harassment Claim
If you are a victim of office harassment, it is important to file a complaint to the respective authority. You need to make sure you have all the necessary detail to support your claim; otherwise, your claim will be rejected. Keeping detailed records is very important for filing an office harassment claim.
Just like maintaining proper document is important, it is essential to file the claim as early as possible. Any delay in filing the claim will take the impact of the case and your chance of winning the claim is reduced. It is also good to contact a lawyer before filing the claim as you will be required to know the legal standards of filing an office harassment claim.
Conclusion
Office harassment is a serious issue faced by millions of people day to day. Most people do not report it due to fear or lack of knowledge. If you or any of your friends are facing office harassment, it is time to take a strong stand against it.
