Sexual harassment in
the workplace is a punishable offense. However, unfortunately enough,
constructive steps taken by the government and different organizations
including the formulation of strict guidelines and laws have not been able to
reduce sexual harassment cases.
Sexual Harassment on Steroids
in Germany
Some people believe
sexual harassment will never go away. As long as men and woman work near other
this problem will never abate. Well, America and more civilized countries do
not have the problems that other societies have. In other countries and
cultures, woman are not respected at all and this goes for the Middle East. We
have all seen and heard about what happened in Germany on New Years. The
Islamic culture is seriously flawed and now woman in Germany and other parts of
Europe have major problems on their hands.
Germany needs a lot
more than just sexual harassment lawyers. Too bad woman cannot carry guns in
Germany.
Furthermore, sexual
harassment does not only mean unwelcome sexual conduct. You can
complain even if you face sex discrimination at your workplace. Even if your
manager is the harasser, do not be afraid to take steps to stop the harassment.
This is because the law prohibits any employer from retaliatory steps against
the victim and witnesses.
Learn your Rights by
Heart
Even if you are not yet
ready to press charges against your harasser you can still consult a sexual
harassment lawyer to know your rights in a workplace. Furthermore, make sure to
study the employee company handbook to understand your employer’s sexual
harassment and discrimination policy. This knowledge and the guidance from the
lawyer can potentially give a victim the confidence to take the next step and
make a complaint.
Ask the Harasser to Stop
Make sure to communicate
with your harasser and tell him or her that their behavior is unwelcome and
must immediately stop. However, often the victim might be too frightened to
confront his/her harasser. The best way to convey your concern is to write an
email or send a letter. Perhaps you can ask a colleague to speak to the person
on your behalf.
Report the Incident to
the HR Division
Every company has a
Human Resource department to deal with such issues. You ought to inform one of
your supervisors and then report the incident to the HR division.
The decision to report
incidents of sexual harassment or discrimination is not an easy one. Victims
are quite naturally scared of losing their job if they complain. Even though
victims are not legally required to complain, sexual harassment attorneys
believe that it is important to do so. This is because the management can take
effective measures to stop the harassment and prevent further painful and
untoward incidents.
Secondly, if you decide
to take legal action against your employer and the harasser,
your employer will not be able to claim that it had no knowledge of the
harassment and was therefore unable to take any steps to protect you. Failure
to report the matter will not give you the right to sue.
If you reported the
matter to your HR division the jury will believe that you considered the
behavior unwelcome and did everything to stop the harasser.
How to cope with the
mental stress after episodes of harassment?
Each individual will
react differently after any incident of harassment. Some get hysterical while
others are found to remain calm but only outwardly. A most disturbing trend
seen among victims is that they keep replaying the incident in their minds.
This way they constantly try to figure out if they somehow gave the wrong
message that instigated the harasser to act in that way. Embarrassment,
humiliation, grief, numbness, and fear often cause severe anxiety and
depression, which in turn hampers a victim’s productivity.
This is why it is
prudent for any victim of sexual harassment to seek support from a lawyer, friends, and
family member/s
as well as get psychological counseling. Psychological counseling not only
imparts mental strength but often legal representatives ask victims to visit a
psychiatrist purely from a legal stand point.
The evidence provided
by medical experts can swing a case in favor of the plaintiff. Whether you are
a victim or know someone who is potentially being harassed, make sure to
consult a sexual harassment lawyer as soon as possible.
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