What should I do if I am a victim of sexual harassment?

You must confront the perpetrator. It is possible that his/her understanding of what constitutes sexual harassment is not the same as yours, and it may not be perceived that you find his/her behavior offensive.

When you confront him/her, you must:

• Speak decisively, clearly and slowly, making eye contact with him/her
• Describe the unwanted behavior towards you, the consequences for you and stress to him/her that you want him/her to stop and not repeat it.
• Ignore any attempt at belittling, awesomeness or niceness on his/her part
• Don't smile and don't apologize. This will downgrade your complaint.
• When you are done with what you have to say to him/her, walk away - the less you say, the stronger you will be.

However, you need to talk about this incident to other people as well. You may choose a colleague, a trusted person or your spouse to give you moral support. These individuals could also act as witnesses in any incident of wrongdoing.

If you feel that you cannot confront the perpetrator face-to-face and prefer to explain in writing that his/her behavior bothers you, prepare a persuasive letter stating that it makes you uncomfortable and that you wish to stop and not repeat. Keep a copy of your letter and let him/her know that if he/she persists in such behavior, you will proceed with a complaint.

Keep a journal with notes

Once you have confronted the perpetrator and he/she continues the sexual harassment, you must inform your employer. Your employer (has a legal obligation) to take all the necessary measures to prevent such incidents from happening in your workplace. your employer must investigate your complaint and deal with your grievance. Reminder again to take notes on everything that happens.

Sexual Harassment Policy: The victim is encouraged to review the policy and see what options are available for how to report sexual harassment. If he does not feel comfortable reporting sexual harassment in the manner provided in the policy, he may inform his employer in any other way he wishes.

The employer must inform about the right of the victim to make a complaint through an informal or through a formal procedure and the available procedures that exist.


When and why should I submit my complaint to the public bodies or to the court?

You must submit your complaint if:

• The perpetrator continues even after you have spoken to him/her and your employer
• The perpetrator is your employer himself
• You are not happy with the way your employer handled it or with the outcome of the investigation into your complaint

The sooner you submit your complaint, the better for you and possibly other colleagues.