How to Determine if Sexual Harassment has Occurred

A workplace can change drastically if sexual harassment has occurred. While businesses and government institutions are working hard to eradicate the problem, it still runs rampant in workplaces today. Part of the process is sorting out complaints and finding out if there is substance to the allegations. Here is how to determine if sexual harassment has occurred.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Talk to the employee making the complaint. Find out if someone at the workplace has been making comments and/or advances of a sexual nature toward the employee.
2. Find out if the employee has been subjected to inappropriate and unwanted physical contact at the hands of another person at the workplace. This does not always have to be a member of the opposite sex. Any unwanted contact falls into the category of sexual harassment.
3. Ask the employee making the complaint if they have addressed the issue with the other person and told them to stop. If advances continue after a person has clearly expressed opposition, this also falls under the category of sexual harassment.
4. Address any and all complaints of inappropriate conversations and/or jokes happening at the workplace. Any person within earshot of these conversations that takes offense can file a sexual harassment complaint.
5. Determine if any activities in the workplace are creating a hostile work environment. This can be inappropriate contact, offensive pictures or artwork, solicitation of sexual favors or any other interaction that causes an employee or several employees to feel uncomfortable and unable to perform their regular duties.
6. Address the person or persons being accused of harassment to get their side of the story. In some cases a person will not realize that their behavior has been inappropriate until it is brought to light.

Tips & Warnings

• It is the responsibility of the management to ensure that all employees in a workplace feel safe and able to do their jobs without fear of a hostile work environment. All allegations of sexual harassment should be treated seriously and given the utmost attention.