Every employer has a duty to provide a conducive work environment for their employees. Besides boosting the business’ bottom line, a conducive work environment also goes a long way in reducing employer-employee conflicts and costly turnover.
However, it is not uncommon for employees to report incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace. Basically, sexual or gender-based harassment happens when an employee is subjected to unwelcome verbal or physical behaviors that are sexual in nature.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, it is important that you document the incidents in question so you can take legal action against the perpetrator.
So when should you document sexual harassment incidents?
It is crucial that you document incidents of sexual harassment as soon as they happen. This is why you need to keep a detailed journal of everything so you can have fresh and accurate recollections should the matter end up in court.
What to include in your journal
Ideally, you should document as much detail about the incident as possible. Here are some of the items you need to include in your sexual harassment journal:
- The exact nature of the harassment (was it physical or verbal)
- When and where the harassment took place
- Any witnesses to the incident
- Whether you informed the perpetrator that their behavior was not welcome and how they responded
- Whether you reported the incident to your superiors and obtained a copy of the incident report
Sexual harassment in the workplace can impact the victim’s self-esteem and productivity. If you are a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, consider exploring your legal options so you can stop the vice and obtain the justice you deserve.
