Ways to Deal with Sexual Harassment at Workplace
There are several cases of sexual harassment being reported every day. It is a serious offence for which serious action needs to be taken. A lot of women go through this every day but they find it difficult to talk about it. While some of the incidents get reported, there are so many of them that don’t. Many women find it difficult to talk about it or report this incident. They fear that people will, judge them and would blame them for the incident. They also fear losing their jobs because of this. Then, there are times they cannot seem to come up with any solution. [ Read: 10 Tips to be Good Friends with your Co-Workers ]
Here are a few ways in which you can deal with sexual harassment at workplace:
- Confront him
You must confront the person who is harassing you. Talk to him and let him know that you would not take things lying down. A lot of people think they can do anything to you because you do not stop them. It is not that you do not want to stop them but fear does not let you do so. You must understand that unless you raise a finger, they will keep troubling you. You expect these things to stop after a while but they won’t; unless you put your foot down and decide that you would not accept this behavior anymore. Do not be afraid of a person who has wronged you. You must show him the mirror and let him know that you will take action against him. [ Read: 7 Quick and Easy Ways to Deal with Nosy Co-workers ]
- Spread the word
If you have been a victim of sexual harassment, you could find it tough to talk about it but if you do not do that, you will have no help coming your way. Let your colleagues and other people know about this incident. If you want their help you must keep them in loop about everything. Even if you want to keep things quiet, you will at least have them by your side if he harasses you in the future. Also, if he gets to know that you have told people about it, he will be careful and think a hundred times before harassing you again. In such a difficult situation, a bit of help will make you confident and you will be ready to deal with the crisis.
- Inform his family
If you have talked to him and even warned him against harassing you and he has not paid any heed to your warnings, you need to do something else. He must have a family who is oblivious of his unscrupulous activities. Inform his family about this so that they would take strict action against him. They would be ashamed to know about his activities and would support you in fighting against him. Yes, sometimes even the family can be unreasonably defensive but you must give it a try. The fact that you informed his family about this will act as a major blow to him. [ Read: 12 Tips to Keep in Mind While Dating Your Boss ]
- Get a transfer
One thing that is stopping you from waging a war against the perpetrator is your job. You love your job and you do not want to lose it because of this issue. In that case, you need to be on a middle ground. Try to get yourself transferred to another office or place. This would not be the best thing to do. You must fight it out with him but if you do not want to get in to all that, transfer would be a fair option. Moving away to a different place will not, necessarily, help you stay away from trouble but you can give it a try. There is no way in which you can work in the same place which he works in.
- Lodge a complaint
If you have tried everything and he has refused to mend his ways, then the only option left with you is you lodge a complaint against him. You could either complain to the higher authorities at the workplace or inform the police. If things get serious, it is important to keep such people in lop who can help you out. People are wary about approaching the police and making rounds of courts but you cannot let him get away with this, right? You must make sure that he gets punished for his deeds. By doing this, you will not only set an example but would also save many other women who could have been a victim of sexual harassment. [ Read: Office Romance – Pros and Cons ]
It is important to raise your voice when somebody does something bad to you. Sexual harassment is a serious issue. Unfortunately, it is something that has become very common at workplace. You must not stay quiet for any reason. There are so many people out there who would be willing to help you. You just need to speak up against this.
