How to Complain About Sexual Harassment at Work

How to Complain About Sexual Harassment at WorkHow to Complain About Sexual Harassment at WorkSexual harassment in the workplace is illegal, and you should report such a problem officially by filing a formal complaint with your employer. Many companies have procedures in place to accommodate this, and youll likely find it outlined in your employee handbook if your company has issued one. The best route is to report the problem to your babo or the human resource department if you dont have a handbook with prescribed guidelines or if the handbook does not provide guidance, Of course, you would report directly to human resources or to your anfhrers boss if its your boss whos harassing you. But how do you go about it? Put It in Writing Many people prefer to handle this sort of thing face to face so they can deal with follow-up questions immediately. And sometimes its easier to explain things verbally ratherbei than in writing. But theres also a problem with this approach. Articulatin g such things in person can be nerve-wracking, and theres always a chance that you could be misunderstood. You might mean to say that Bob is sexually harassing you, but it might come across as though Bob is telling stupid offensive jokes. Its easy for your boss or for HR to downplay or dismiss in this case. Bob might be a jokester, but thats no big deal. You can avoid this problem by filing a complaint in writing. You can follow up in person later if you prefer face-to-face contact. Making a formal, written complaint is easiest and most effective if youve kept detailed, written records of Bobs behavior and each incident that occurred. Your notes should include the names of potential witnesses and the date and time of each occurrence. Dont keep these notes at work. Keep them safe at home. Heres a sample emaille you can use to help you along. Sample Official Email Complaint- the Subject Line This is actually the most critical part of your complaint. The subject line should read Of ficial Complaint of Sexual Harassment. This makes it impossible for anyone to say, I didnt realize she was experiencing sexual harassment. They cannot legally ignore your complaint when you begin with these words. The Addressee(s) Youll also want to send it to both your boss- well call her Jane in this example- and to your HR manager if you have one. Well call her Stacy. Youre keeping everyone in the loop this way. There might be times when youd want to send your email only to HR or only to your boss, but youre better off sending it to both at once unless you have strong reasons to keep one or the other out of the situation. The Body of the Email Dear Jane and Stacy, I am writing to notify you that Bob has been sexually harassing me. The following incidents have occurred Approximately one month ago, Bob followed me to my car and asked me on a date. I said I wasnt interested and left. Bob asked me out again on June 1, 2018. I again told him no and that I prefer to keep my wor k and personal life separate. I told Steve and Karen the next day that Bob had asked me out.Bob sent me an email expressing his interest in dating me on June 3, 2018, telling me I was hot. The email is attached. I responded and my response is also attached. I told him not to contact me again for non-business reasons. Bob sent me a text message that included a photo of his genitalia on June 9, 2018. I deleted this email. I asked Jane to reassign me to a different project on June 9, 2018, because Bob was bothering me. She declined to reassign me, but I did not tell her about the email and the picture.Bob followed me out to my car and berated me for not dating him on June 10, 2018. I believe Richard Thompson from accounting was also in the parking lot at the time, but I dont know if he overheard anything.Bob made a derogatory remark about me in a staff meeting on June 11, 2018. Steve, Karen, Jane, Chelsea, and Justin were present. Jane told Bob to knock it off. Bob sent me an email on June 15, 2018, telling me that if I didnt go out with him, hed tell Jane that I had plagiarized the marketing slides Id created for the regional meeting. This email is also attached. This email mentions every incident, even the one for which the victim doesnt have an exact date. The first incident is not actually sexual harassment- asking a coworker out doesnt fall under this umbrella. But it does show how Bobs behavior began and how it quickly escalated into something inappropriate. Also, note that the victim gives the names of possible witnesses. This can help when Jane or Stacy begin an investigation. Wrapping It Up Now wrap it up in a pleasant, professional manner. Say something like Thank you for looking into this matter for me. Im happy to give you any additional information as needed. I would very much like Bob to leave me alone so I can do my work. Sincerely, Holly Jones Thats it. You dont have to use fancy legal wording. Your boss and your HR department know that sexual harassment is illegal and they should take it from here. But you can expect that they wont simply accept your side of the story as the gospel truth and take action. Its their obligation to approach this complaint from a neutral standpoint, and that means handling the situation in a way thats fair to both you and Bob. What to Expect Next Your boss and your HR department should conduct an investigation. This can involve multiple steps, such as interviewing Bob and other employees as well, both those youve named as possible witnesses and others who might have been aware of Bobs behavior, although you dont have knowledge of this. Its possible that Bob has zeroed in on other victims. The investigation will most likely include a review of both your personnel file as well as Bobs to determine if similar situations have occurred between you or with anyone else in the past. Finally, the company should take some action to address the problem. In some situations, such as a complaint about Bob looking at pornography in his open cubicle, your employer wouldnt have to tell Bob who complained.But in this case, he stands accused of harassing a coworker directly, so hell know who made the complaint. The law prohibits retaliation for making a sexual harassment complaint, so your boss and the HR department shouldnt punish you in any way for taking this step. Seeking Legal Assistance You can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or hire your own employment lawyer to help with your case if your company doesnt take care of the issue. You have a limited period of time within which to do this, however- usually 180 days from the date of the last act of harassment. You cant sue your employer unless youve first made a complaint to the EEOC. You might expect your employer to seek legal assistance as well because the company can be held liable for sexual harassment in the workplace when it has not taken adequate steps to deal with the situation. - - - - - - - - - - - - Suzanne Lucas is a freelance journalist specializing in Human Resources. Suzannes work has been featured on notes publications including Forbes, CBS, Business Insider and Yahoo.

8 Crucial Things to Know Before Starting Your First Job

8 Crucial Things to Know Before Starting Your First Job8 Crucial Things to Know Before Starting Your First JobAs a recent grad, youve probably had at least a couple of experience working in a real world office. But the question is, what changes when youre a full-time employee and not just a summer or semester-long intern?Lucky for you, we scoured the web for the advice you need to know as you take your first steps into the big, bad workforce.College wont teach you about behauptung seven things you need to know about entering the workforce. (Mashable)Understanding that grammar counts is just one of the many pieces of unconventional career advice you should learn before you start your first job. (Forbes)Sheryl Sandberg has some great words of wisdom for recent grads just starting to look at the job market. First things first? Banish self-doubt. (Entrepreneur)Are you really all that prepared for the workforce? Studies show you may not be. (Slate)Soft skills? Yeah, those are really, real ly important when youre starting off your career. (Fox Business)Forget what you need to do when starting out heres what not to do. (The New York Times)A lot of times new grads forget that there is in fact a transition period between college and the real world. (Quintessential Careers)Once you get settled in, there are nine things you should do during the first week of your job. (Business Insider)Want more help navigating your first gig? Check out our suggestionsHow to Make a Great Impression on Your First Day10 Ways to Avoid the First Day JittersThe Step-by-Step Guide to Your Post-College ResumePhoto of woman walking courtesy of Shutterstock.

The Power of an Internship

The Power of an Internship The Power of an Internship The infographic begins supporting this claim by offering 16 examples of people who started out as interns and ultimately became CEOs. A few interesting examples includeSteve Jobs The infographic explains that Jobs landed his first gig at age 12 on the Hewlett-Packard line- assembling frequency counters- after he called President Bill Hewlett himself.Ursula Burns At age 22, Burns worked for Xerox as a mechanical engineering summer intern. Today, not only is she the companys CEO, but the first black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.Andrea Jung Jung worked as a summer intern for Bloomingdales, and now is the CEO of Avon Products, a multi-billion dollar business.Steven Spielberg Who hasnt watched one of this mans films? At age 17, the infographic explains how Spielberg landed an internship with Universal Studios purchasing department. After convincing one of the studios executives to watch one of his early films, they signed Spi elberg to a 7-year contract.Anderson Cooper The popular journalist and TV personality interned for the CIA during his sophomore and junior summers at Yale.Oprah Winfrey Winfrey welches an intern at a Nashville CBS affiliateand the rest is herstory.The infographic also offers some average American statistics when it comes to how people benefit from completing an internship. It references a National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) study, which revealed that 63 percent of paid interns received at least one job offer in 2012 compared to 36 percent of graduates who didnt have any experience. The NACE study also found that 75 percent of employees who were hired out of internships were retained after one year compared to 60 percent for those who didnt.And employers favoring students with internship experience is no recent trend either. According to this 2012 USA News World Report article, Degrees Are Great, but Internships Make a Difference, 74 percent of Longwood Universitys 2008 graduating class received jobs within six months of graduation, this was despite, the article states, the fact that students were thrust into one of the worst job markets on record.The Virginia University requires an internship for all graduates. The articles author also writes, University officials and employers almost universally maintain that partaking in an internship- or several, which sets a student apart from his or her peers even more- before graduation is integral to finding meaningful employment in todays seemingly impenetrable job market.I couldnt agree with this idea more there is absolute power behind completing an internship.I graduated from a college preparatory high school, which required all seniors to complete an internship to graduate. At 17, I received my first internship experience as I worked a couple hours each week for an interior designer (my career aspirations at the time).Then, throughout college, I completed seven consecutive internships before bein g offered my first full-time position post-graduation. Although I started small interning (for free) at local magazines and womens organizations, unterstellung experiences built up my resume, opening the door for many other- more predominate and paid- opportunities. And as I interviewed for each internship, the hiring managers universally were impressed with one thing The fact that along with my school workload, I had also gained real-world experience by working in positions relevant to my major.I honestly dont believe I would have a full-time job or the opportunities I have today had I not gained hands-on experience via internships.When I received the infographic below and looked at all the celebrity examples of interns to CEOs, I became inspired. I wholeheartedly believe that internships offer invaluable experiences from the people you meet, the different scenarios youre able to work in and the skills that you gain. And to see real-life examples of people, especially prominent ind ividuals, who started as interns and are now successful businessmen and women is motivational. Not to mention that there are countless other examples of success stories, even if they have not attained celebrity status like those listed in the infographic.So, just to drive this point home to any current students, any job seeker or any employee looking to change fields Dont overlook the power behind internships. Completing internships will offer practical, hands-on experience that will give you the skills a classroom and exams simple cannot. And if youre a job seeker or currently employed but hoping to transition to a new field, starting at an internship is also a great way to get your foot in the door and gain some experience in a field/role where you may lack the credentials.