Tips On Preventing Sexual Harassment

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Unfortunately, sexual harassment is all too common in the workplace and its most common victims are women. It can be defined as: a repeated and unwanted verbal or physical sexual advance, sexually explicit derogatory statements and remarks made in work or classroom contexts that are offense to and humiliating to a recipient.

Many women feel powerless in the face of such attacks, but they needn’t be. If you are experiencing such problems, there are redresses that can be taken. However, it is best to take steps to help prevent being harassed at work in the first place: here are some ideas.

– Be guarded in your friendships and in how you behave toward others. Many women are naturally outgoing and super friendly with those they like, and may express their friendship with touching and other demonstrations of affection.

Such behavior may be easily misinterpreted by a male colleague, and if this is your natural tendency you should work to curb this kind of behavior at work. Of course, it doesn’t mean you need to be austere and unfriendly, but being openly demonstrative is quite another matter. Always keep it professional.

– Although the women’s liberation movement of the last 30 years would have women believe that they should be free to dress as they like in public without fear of harassment, this is not usually a realistic stand - especially at work.

Showing cleavage in any social context invites being sexually objectified, whether it’s fair or not. Although “casual Fridays” have become the norm in business settings all across America, going too casual can have unwanted repercussions. Women who want to be taken seriously should forego showing cleavage altogether as well as wearing tight and clingy outfits.

– Be strong and stand firm. This may take some practice, but it’s important that the office know that you will not stand for any kind of inappropriate attention. It’s perfectly all right to discourage unwanted advances point blank: in fact, cutting things short right away is absolutely essential. It may be done diplomatically, but he should be left with no doubts about where you stand. Do not accept gifts, do not giggle or flirt, and do not do anything that may be interpreted as encouraging.

– If all of your efforts to discontinue the behavior are in vain, contact your supervisor or report the offender to human resources immediately. If these people are not supportive or if you fear losing your job if you blow the whistle on someone, it is entirely appropriate to contact a lawyer who specializes in handling workplace sexual harassment cases.

Remember to take charge in all situations: do everything you can to prevent sexual harassment in the first place, and if it does occur, take immediate action.

If you are a Lone Star State resident looking for an experienced texas employment attorney to help you, contact the offices of Rosenberg Law (http://www.rosenberglaw.com). Art Gib is a freelance writer.

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