Sexual Harassment Training:
Dealing With Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Handling and Preventing Inappropriate Sexual Suggestions at Work

Today's modern workplace is a fast-moving, energetic, diverse setting full of eclectic personalities and a myriad of cultures. The right people skills and an ability to adapt can help employees learn to work with individuals different from themselves. In such an environment, it's easy for wires to get crossed and misunderstandings to occur. However, inappropriate sexual comments or conduct shouldn't be something an employee has to "adapt" to. Sexual harassment can poison the morale at any workplace, even if it's kept under wraps.

Employees may be ashamed to admit it happened to them. Bosses and managers may feel intrusive for asking. It is paramount that these conversations occur, as uncomfortable as they may be. After an incident of sexual harassment, it is important to act immediately. This is in the best interest of the employees and can help to prevent future offenses.

Act Immediately Following Sexual Harassment

Employees should immediately contact their direct supervisor following an act of sexual harassment. Going over the head of the direct supervisor may cause confusion in the chain of command. The supervisor will probably be bound to report this to his or her own supervisor, and the chain of command can treat the situation smoothly. Depending on how overt and offensive the act was, the accused may be anything from reprimanded to fired.

In the aftermath of sexual harassment, the victim would do well not to gossip about the incident at work. This is out of fairness to both the victim and accused. Accusations can snowball into fodder for defamation of character lawsuits quite quickly. Victims should be very careful regarding with whom they have their conversations about the incident. Such stories spread like wildfire, even in large workplaces.

Resist the Urge to be Sensational

Victims of workplace sexual harassment should not attempt to confront the accused at any time, within the boundaries of the workplace or outside of them. All conversations between the victim and the accused should take place within the presence of a third-party mediator who can fairly intervene. A direct supervisor may assume this role if it is determined that an intervention is necessary.

Interventions between the victim and accused may lead to a positive resolution of the incident. The accused employee may have shown genuinely poor taste but had no intent to harass. A compliment may have been innocent but taken the wrong way. The accused has a right to express his or her side of the story, but it should occur in a mediation session.

Preventing Future Acts of Sexual Harassment

Managers and supervisors may want to offer professional development sessions on avoiding workplace sexual harassment. These informative training sessions can help employees to understand what is sexual harassment and what is not. Employees may need to be informed of how to follow the process after an act of sexual harassment.

Employees should be on their guard at work and avoid situations that could lead to accusations of sexual harassment. Aggressively flirting with coworkers or privately approaching them in a secluded area are dangerous situations to be avoided. When employees are not sure if sexual harassment has happened or not, they should voice their opinions to their supervisor and stress that they are unsure. To stop further occasions, they should approach the coworker in question in the presence of their supervisor and assertively state their discomfort.

Source: Evangeline Deaton link