You should be able to go to work each day without concern for how you’ll be treated by your employer and your co-workers. Yet, if you’re like thousands of other workers in America, then there comes a point where you’re subjected to workplace harassment. And when this occurs, your job performance and mental well-being can suffer. Making matters worse, sometimes trying to report discrimination results in retaliation, which can result in reassignment, demotion or even job loss. This can prove damaging to your career and your financial stability.
That’s why you have to be careful and thoughtful as you navigate resolution to the workplace harassment to which you’ve been subjected. While that means gaining an understanding of the law, it also means knowing how to appropriately gather evidence to support your accusations and any potential legal claim that you may file. One of the best ways to do this is to properly document and report workplace harassment.
How to document workplace harassment
You can’t expect your employer or the court to take you solely at your word when your memory is fuzzy. That’s why it’s crucial that you document workplace harassment clearly. Here are some tips for doing so:
- Document shortly after the event: The more time that passes between the event and your recordation of it, the less you’ll be able to remember. By writing down what happened and how it affected you, you’ll be better able to capture the true extent of the harassment and how it made you feel.
- Be detailed: Even seemingly minor details can be important to your workplace harassment claim. It can also give your allegations more weight, as your employer and the court will likely view your accusations as more credible if you can provide specific details of the events in question. Be sure to capture the date, time and location of each instance of harassment, as well as what, specifically, happened.
- Identify witnesses: As you document harassing events, be sure to write down the names and contact information of those who may have observed it. Their accounts of the events in question can support your claim, thus putting you in a stronger position to obtain a fair and favorable outcome.
- Keep your records somewhere safe: After recording harassment, make sure you tuck your notes away somewhere safe so that neither your harasser nor your employer can gain access to them.
Of course, documenting the harassment is just one of many steps you’ll have to take to bring harassment to a stop. You’ll also need to report it to your employer. Before doing so, though, be sure to review your company’s policies on harassment and reporting procedures. That way you can make sure that you follow the process exactly as laid out so that you don’t give your employer any reason to doubt your reporting. You might also be able to seek guidance from an HR representative or supervisor you trust. As you navigate the process, though, be sure to find external support to help you get through the difficulties that you’re facing.
Find accountability for the harm that’s been caused to you by workplace harassment
You deserve to be safe at your place of work. But when you’re treated unfairly, it’s up to you to raise the issue and act on your workplace protections. So, if you’ve been subjected to workplace harassment, don’t simply sit back and hope for the behavior in question to stop. Instead, be proactive in shielding yourself from the harmful effects of harassment.