Approximately 41% of women in media and entertainment report being sexually harassed by a fellow employee or boss at some point in time. Because so many people in Los Angeles work in the media and entertainment industry, there’s a high risk of residents being a victim of harassment.
If you have been sexually harassed, there are a few things you can do to remedy the situation. Follow these tips to take action and make the workplace a safer place.
1. Document the Incident
As soon as sexual harassment occurs, record the incident. Write it down in a notebook or on your phone, and be extremely detailed. Include the date and time of the incident, as well as the names of anyone who might have witnessed what happened.
If you don’t take immediate action about the incident, keep a running log of sexual harassment. When you have a record of every incident, you will have a better overview of the problem. You might get the motivation you need to take action against the harasser.
2. Confront the Harasser
If you feel comfortable doing so, confront the harasser and ask them to stop the behavior that makes you uncomfortable. While you have a right to be upset, try not to escalate the situation by taking an aggressive tone. If you want to create a paper trail of the incident, you can make the request in writing. Send an email to the harasser and respectfully request that they abstain from the behavior.
Of course, you might be afraid to confront them. If your boss is the one harassing you, then you could have concerns over losing your job. In the event that you’re afraid to speak up or you speak up and nothing changes, you should take things a step further.
3. Report the Situation to Your Supervisor
The next thing you should do is report the situation to your supervisor. If you work for a large business, you can go straight to the HR department. Bt filing an official complaint, you get the incident in writing and have a documented paper trail.
If the harasser works in HR or is your supervisor, take things to the next level. Make the report to the person in the office who has the highest rank.
4. Hire an Attorney
While some companies will handle the situation internally, others do nothing about the harassment. If you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you should contact a sexual harassment lawyer.
In many cases, you won’t even need to take legal action. The involvement of an attorney could be enough to convince the company to file the responsible party. After all, a sexual harassment lawsuit is not good for business. In today’s world, many people look down upon companies that have a history or accusations of harassment.
You should also hire an attorney if you are fired for reporting sexual harassment. As long as you have some evidence to back up your claim, you could sue the company for damages. If your lawsuit is successful, you will be compensated for wrongful termination. While there’s no guarantee that your lawsuit will be successful, an experienced lawyer will be able to tell you more about your chances for recovering damages.
As a victim of sexual harassment, you deserve justice. This often means finding an aggressive and experienced attorney to take on your case.