Sexual harassment of any kind should not be tolerated in any workplace today. Employers are legally expected to provide a working environment in which sexual harassment does not exist.
They are expected to act promptly if there are any genuine complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace that make employees feel uncomfortable and negatively affect their ability to do their job.
Inappropriate emails or text messages are common forms of unwanted workplace sexual harassment. Read the tips for reporting sexual harassment below to find out what to do if a supervisor has sent you an inappropriate email.
Tip 1: Ask Your Supervisor to Stop
It might seem intimidating to tell your supervisor to not send you inappropriate emails but you must make the effort if you are to have any chance of getting the behavior stopped in its tracks.
Let your supervisor know that these sorts of emails make you feel very uncomfortable and are having an effect on your job. Make sure you firmly state that you want the emails to stop. If you are lucky, then this may be a one off experience, but if it persists, the fact that you have stated your disapproval will make it easier when reporting this form of sexual harassment.
Make a note of when the email occurred; keep a copy of the email(s) and when you contacted your supervisor about not sending you any more emails of this type.
Tip 2: Keep a Paper Trail
When sexual harassment takes the form of emails, it is easier to keep a ‘paper trail’ of the behavior that has offended you or made you feel uncomfortable. If you have replied to your supervisor’s email, telling him/her to not send any more, and that it makes you feel uncomfortable, keep a copy of this as well.
If you are able to do so, talk to a trusted co-worker immediately after the email was receive, show them the email and explain that it made you uncomfortable and that you might report it to HR. This will help to corroborate your own complaint if you choose to make one.
Tip 3: File a Formal Letter to HR
If your supervisor continues to attempt to send you inappropriate emails after you have told them to stop, then your next step should be to file a formal complaint to your HR or whoever is at a higher level in your place of employment than your supervisor. Your complaint should include:
- the content of the email;
- who sent you the email;
- how it made you feel;
- the fact that it negatively affected your ability to do your job;
- the fact that you had already made it clear to your supervisor that you wanted him/her to stop emailing you inappropriately ;
- that the harasser persisted despite you having told the person to stop.
Include with your complaint any copies of the email(s) sent you and emails or other communication you had with your supervisor asking them to stop. This is when the paper trail from Tip 2 above comes in useful.
Tip 4: Speak to an Attorney:
Your employer is legally obliged to respond to any complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace. The fact that it is a supervisor involved makes it more serious and your employer should act decisively.
If there is no progress and your employer fails to act, it is time to talk to an employment law attorney about your legal options. The main option is to file a complaint of sexual harassment with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) or a state equivalent.
An attorney can help you with filing a complaint and with a lawsuit against your employer if there is still no resolution.
Additional Resources
