No one likes being harassed, and when you are harassed at work, it often makes things even harder. Your workplace is supposed to be an environment where you feel safe and protected, and being harassed is the opposite of that.
While everyone will need to do what is best for them if they are being harassed at work, there are a few steps that you can take to help you deal with this situation, so keep reading if you want to learn more.
Take legal action
Most of the time, any form of harassment is illegal because it violates the law. Sexual harassment as well as harassment based on your race or religion are all forms of discrimination.
Often, this means that you can take legal action against the person or people harassing you. Whether you decide to first attempt to solve this in-house or whether you’ve decided to skip that and immediately take drastic action is up to you. Either way, however, you should consider getting an employment lawyer to guide you through all the necessary steps and offer you any advice you may need. Have a look at HKM to see what they can offer you.
Report it to the necessary people
Most companies have systems in place specifically to deal with harassment and other unethical treatment at work, so if you don’t want to take legal action, this could be a good alternative.
The first step would likely be to talk to your boss. Of course, this can be incredibly hard, so you can read this post if you need help having difficult conversations at work. You can also file a formal complaint with the business’s HR department. If possible, try to have some type of evidence of the harassment to back up your claims.
Look after your mental health
While you should do your best not to let the harassment affect your personal life, that’s often easier said than done.
Harassment is often classified as a type of abuse, and as with any abuse, it’s bound to affect your mental health. Therefore, you need to take steps to ensure that you’re taking care of your mental health. Therapy is a good option, and there’s no shame in it. In fact, there are many ways for you to make the most of your therapy sessions so that you can benefit more.
Look for a new job
People who are being harassed at work often don’t want to look for a new job, because they think that it means they are weak, or that they’ve lost.
But that’s not true. If you think that staying in your current position and fighting the harassment is the best option, that’s fine. However, if you think that you would feel better if you were to quit your job and look for somewhere with a more positive workplace, that’s also fine. The right decision is whatever will be best for you.
How Companies Can Protect Their Workers From Sexual Harassment
