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Reporting Sexual Harassment
By: Lala C. Ballatan, Wed Feb 1st, 2006
There are ways of stopping attacks of sexual harassment, either
by yourself or with the help of workmates, authorities and by
eventually filing a lawsuit. The following ways of reporting
sexual harassment incidents may not ideally be in the order as
we’re going to present it in actual reality. You shall have to
discover for yourself the best move to compensate for the
violation of your rights. And to totally stop the unwanted
sexual advances being done to you.
Common scenario of sexual harassment is at the workplace. At the
very first signs of unwanted sexual advances toward you, try
stopping it by directly confronting the person. If this isn’t
successful, go to your supervisor or human resources department
for assistance. There may be several informal and formal actions
that will be suggested for you and the company could do. These
options range from contacting your unit or department and
informing them of your complaint but keeping you anonymous,
sending a letter to your harasser, or speaking directly to them
to inform them that their behaviors violate the company policy
and the federal law. He may also need to be informed that
retaliation is not the way to solve his problem.
You might also be asked by the person-in-charge if you agree to
an arrangement for a carefully prepared meeting between you and
the harasser. This confrontation may help you to confront the
issue. You may also be able to work out some sort of resolution.
f you do not want to, however, there’s no law mandating such
king of meeting.
Another way of confronting sexual harassment head-on is by
having mediation proceedings. Traditional mediation, however,
should be used with great care as this form is not always
appropriate. First of all, ensure that the mediator is has ample
training and experience, you must have an objective for the
mediation and let the, describe in detail the process to unfold.
If you really do not want to see your harasser personally, then
the mediator may talk to you and your harasser separately, going
back and forth.
Filing a formal complaint with your employer may also be another
option if you feel that your problem was not taken seriously.
But you must first know the policies involved and how it
operates. You might do this by asking someone who have also
undergone such procedures. Inquire in advance in order that you
and the accused have the same rights and access to information,
time frames and the length of time necessary to resolve the
problem. Confirm also some oral communications by writing by
giving the person who informed you with a written communication.
If these informal methods come to no avail, it may be time to
want your harasser be punished by filing a lawsuit. Consult with
an attorney that has experience in handling sexual harassment
cases or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Your state’s anti-discrimination agency might also be able to
help you. -30-
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