Don’t be afraid to report sexual harassment in the workplace. If your supervisor has sent you any inappropriate messages of a sexual nature, such as text messages that make you feel uncomfortable, this should not be tolerated.
There is an established procedure that you can use to get this sort of unwanted behavior stopped. Sexual harassment in the workplace that has a negative effect on an employee’s ability to do their job is illegal and employers should act to stop it if you report it happening to you.
Read the tips for reporting sexual harassment below to find out what to do if a supervisor has sent you an inappropriate text message.
Tip 1: Ask Your Supervisor to Stop
The quicker you make your supervisor know that you find inappropriate text messages unwelcome the better. Let your supervisor know firmly that these sorts of messages make you feel uncomfortable and are having a negative effect on your ability to do your job. Tell your supervisor to stop sending any inappropriate messages of any kind to you.
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 to HR or an anti discrimination body like the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC).
Make a note of when the text message was sent. Make sure you keep a copy of the message on your phone and when and what you said to your supervisor to get them to stop.
Tip 2: Keep a Paper Trail
When sexual harassment takes the form of text messages or emails, it is easier to keep a ‘paper trail’ of the offensive or inappropriate behavior that has made you feel uncomfortable. If you have replied to your supervisor’s message, 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 message was received, show them the text and explain that it made you uncomfortable and that you might report it to HR. This will help to back up your own complaint if you choose to file one.
Tip 3: File a Formal Letter to HR
If your supervisor continues to attempt to send you text messages after you have told him/her 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:
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the content of the text(s);
- who sent you the text(s);
- 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 messaging you inappropriately ;
- that your supervisor persisted, despite you having told him/her to stop.
Include with your complaint any copies of the text(s) sent you and any messages you sent to 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:
Both state and federal anti discrimination legislation treats sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination. It is illegal and your employer would be expected to respond and deal with formal complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.
If there is no progress and your employer fails to act, it is time to talk to an employment law attorney about your next step. The usual next step is to file a complaint of sexual harassment with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) or its state equivalent.
The attorney should be able to help you with filing the complaint and following it up with a lawsuit against your employer if there is still no resolution of the complaint.
