Employees in Florida subjected to sexual harassment need evidence to stand up for their rights. Documentation of ongoing behavior like lewd jokes, lower pay for the same work or even outright sexual assault could make the difference when trying to get an employer to acknowledge the problem.
People should record notes about who said or did something inappropriate. The log should contain the dates and location of the incidents as well as whether any witnesses were present. People should include information about negative consequences of the harassment, like difficulty sleeping, depression, anxiety or disordered eating. If sexually harassing conduct persists, then these notes could be collected into a written record for submission as a formal complaint. Placing the complaint in writing reduces an employer’s ability to deny knowledge of the problem. Workers generally should begin by presenting the information to a manager or the human resources department.
Employers should be given a chance to know about the problem and take action to comply with the law. Someone who suffers a sexual assault at work might choose to inform law enforcement as well. Unfortunately, not all employees feel secure in making a complaint to their employers. They may rightly fear retaliation for filing a complaint about sexually harassing behavior by co-workers. An employer’s retaliation could represent illegal conduct as well, so workers should document the timing of retaliatory acts in relationship to their complaints.
Every detail recorded by a victim might improve the chances of collecting a settlement. A person could seek out South Florida sexual harassment legal assistance to gain an attorney’s opinion about the strength of the evidence. A victim’s notes might allow an attorney to interview witnesses and confront an employer about specific incidents.
