What To Do If You Are a Victim of or Witness Sexual Harassment

Our office recently had a sexual harassment training for all the employees. While I was familiar with what sexual harassment was, I was surprised to learn that anything which creates a hostile work environment also falls under this category. Since every working professional deserves to work in an environment that is safe and respectful, here is some information on identifying and reporting sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct that relates to the gender or sexual identity of an individual.

Here are some examples of behavior that would be considered sexual harassment:

• Inappropriate jokes or comments
• Persistent unwelcome advances and flirtation
• Spreading rumors of a sexual nature
• Pressure for sexual activity
• Unwanted physical contact
• Visual displays of suggested images or messages
• Anything that would create a hostile or offensive work environment

This type of behavior was referred to as “red flags” in the meeting and since then, our office has become very vigilant about calling each other on red flags should we happen to say something that verges on inappropriate.

If you have been a victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, or have witnessed an incident, please report these incidents immediately. While you may be tempted to ignore the incident, there is the possibility that it will not stop. If you are not comfortable discussing it directly with the individual, speak with your supervisor or Human Resources representative. This will help prevent this type of behavior from happening again in your workplace.

We are all entitled to working in a professional environment that is free of sexual harassment.