If your supervisor has sexually harassed you at work, you are suffering from mental anguish and emotional distress. Being sexually harassed is a traumatic experience, so you will need to have support to help you through the situation. Often, victims of sexual harassment need mental health care, and require visits to a counselor, therapist, or a psychiatrist.
If you aren’t supported by your company’s human resources department, it can even be more damaging to you emotionally and mentally. Conduct policies can vary greatly from one company to another, so you might not understand the proper process to file a complaint, and you may not understand who to talk with regarding the matter. Also, in recent years, cultural conversations about sexual harassment have begun to protect the perpetrator and blame the victim.
When you file a complaint with HR and they don’t seem to be helping you, you may wonder where to turn and what to do. An employment law attorney who handles sexual harassment cases in your state may be able to help you get your claim on track. Remember, evidence and documentation are essential to the success of your claim, so be sure to keep everything that shows what happened and how it happened.
Documentation
You should be sure to document everything! Maintain a journal, or a log that puts every incident into perspective. Write down dates, times, witnesses, what happened and what was said. Also, keep any notes or memos. You should maintain documentation about any conversations with HR. Keep copies of emails sent and documents shared with them. You will want to maintain thorough records, so you can prove what happened and when it happened.
Learn Your Rights
You should do your research. Get a grasp of what Title VII is and understand your rights and how you are protected by it. You should also review your employee handbook and any other work-related documents, so you will understand company policies and protocol. You want to know what is and isn’t accepted by your employer, and you also need to be able to recognize when the law has been violated. Understand the proper process for filing a complaint and how you can remedy your situation.
You should understand what legal protections you have from the unwanted advances of a supervisor or manager in the workplace. Know how to respond to such unwanted behavior and understand your rights. Also, familiarize yourself with the EEOC and understand how the EEOC can help you through such situations. Visit the EEOC website, and check on the process of filing claim with them.
Seek Outside Help
Help is available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC helps protect workers who have been the victim of sexual harassment and other unacceptable treatment in the workplace. They will review the details of your case and help you determine the best way to proceed. If you have reported your situation to HR, and it wasn’t taken seriously, then you should contact the EEOC. You can file your claim with them online, over the phone, by mail, or in person. You can also enlist the help of a sexual harassment attorney who takes cases in your state. These two resources will know the best way for you to proceed with your claim and get the harassment stopped and be treated fairly.
How An Employment Lawyer Can Help
If you have been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, you should talk with an attorney who handles sexual harassment cases in the workplace. An attorney knows the state and local laws regarding such situations and will be able to determine the best way to proceed with your claim. You usually have only anywhere from 180 to 300 days after the last incident of sexual harassment to pursue a claim, so don’t wait until it is too late to recover compensation for your damages.
Many employment law attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that they aren’t paid until they win your case. However, some attorneys charge an hourly fee. Be sure to discuss payment when you retain the services of an attorney for your sexual harassment case. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form on this page to share details about your situation with the office of a sexual harassment attorney.
