The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission receives thousands of sexual harassment charges each year. While many people have become aware of how prevalent workplace sexual harassment is, it’s obvious that many people continue to be subjected to this treatment at work. Employers are responsible for keeping their employees safe in the workplace and ensuring that they receive fair treatment, regardless of their protected characteristics. However, many employers don’t understand how to combat workplace sexual harassment or protect their employees.
At Barrett & Farahany, our sexual harassment attorneys understand how difficult it can be to get help when you’re dealing with these actions and behaviors in the workplace. We can help you through this challenging process.
Steps to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment
There are many steps employers can take to prevent workplace sexual harassment, including the following.
Create a Policy
While federal and state laws make harassment based on protected characteristics, such as a person’s sex, illegal, employers should also have their own policies in place. Many employees may not know what their rights are regarding sexual harassment or how to identify it. A workplace policy ensures that all employees have access to written information that details the employer’s rules on sexual harassment.
Not only does this help employees recognize and report sexual harassment at work, but it can detail what actions are taken when it occurs. This means that when an employee reports sexual harassment, they can feel more confident that something will actually be done about it. Employees will also know that if they harass someone in the workplace, their employer will take disciplinary action against them. A policy can make it clear to everyone that these actions and behaviors will not be tolerated.
Provide Training
Recognizing sexual harassment at the moment is not always as easy as it might seem. Many may try to brush it off as something less serious or look the other way when it happens to someone else. Employees of all levels should receive some sort of training on sexual harassment, not only management and executives. Training programs can help create more awareness of this issue and create a safer environment for all employees.
Establish a Complaint Process
Even when a company does everything it can to educate its employees on sexual harassment, it’s possible that it may still occur in the workplace. Knowing that there is always the potential for sexual harassment to occur, companies need to ensure that the process employees follow to report it is clear. Reporting sexual harassment can be extremely difficult, and not knowing who you can turn to for help only makes this harder.
Consult with a Sexual Harassment Attorney Today
Unfortunately, not all employers take sexual harassment as seriously as they should, even if their employees are violating employment laws. However, even if your employer is not willing to help, you can still take action against workplace sexual harassment. If your employer has not helped put a stop to the sexual harassment you’ve experienced, you need an attorney who can protect you. Many people experience sexual harassment at work, but there’s no reason to let this continue.
At Barrett & Farahany, we’ve fought for many employees who have been subjected to this treatment at work. Contact us for help and our attorneys will stand up for you and your safety.
