What Should You Do?

May 23, 1996|By Stephen Henderson, Tribune Staff Writer.

If you feel like you're a victim or are becoming one, there are clear steps you should take, according to several experts in the field, including the American Society for Training and Development, and Business and Professional Women/USA, two nationally-known groups that specialize in sexual harassment education:

Know your company's harassment policy.Knowing the rules may help you identify behavior that's inappropriate. Most companies have a policy that deals with sexual harassment. Ask around human resources to verify or to see a copy.

Let the harasser know you don't like the behavior. Always speak up when someone does or says something to you that you feel is inappropriate. It establishes with the harasser that whatever is being done is unwelcome, and is the key to any court action than might arise from the circumstances. Many victims fail to take this all-important step, and doom themselves to more inappropriate treatment as well as a more difficult path to ending it. If the harasser is your boss or supervisor, take it up with someone above you both.

Document what has happened and the fact that you have said something about it. A good paper trail is the key to credibility with sexual harassment allegations. Remember dates and times, and write down as much as you can. Again, this could be important if you have to take the problem to higher-ups or if court action become necessary.

Ask around about the harasser. Talk with co-workers about the person who is harassing you, to see if they have had similar problems. Document this, too, for credibility when you're taking your problem to supervisors or in court. Many people avoid this step because it's embarrassing. But it cannot be worse than suffering through more inappropriate behavior.

Take it up with the bosses. If nothing else works, take it up with your supervisor. If your supervisor is the harasser, take it up with someone higher up. If you've done your homework, with documentation and accounts from other workers, this will be easier on you and easier for the supervisor to address. Also document your meeting with the supervisor.

File a complaint with the company. If your company has a harassment policy, chances are it also has a mechanism for dealing with complaints that arise from the policy. Take advantage of this if confronting the harasser and telling the bosses gets you nowhere. The process can be grueling, but it will be made easier by your documentation and other research.

Take 'em to court. If nothing else works, go to the local office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and file a complaint. Under the law, pursuing legal action against a company that doesn't address sexual harassment complaints is your right. The process will be made easier, again, by your documentation and research.