Who Should I Report Sexual Harassment To?
You do not have to make an internal report of sexual harassment before filing a legal claim. It is usually a good idea, though. The company or organization you work for is not responsible for investigating and addressing harassment that it does not know about, so a report is important to put them on notice. Also, if you fear retaliation or reprisal from the person who is harassing you, letting someone else in the company know could protect you.
If your employer has a sexual harassment policy, that policy should designate someone as a contact person for complaints. If there is no policy, or you can't locate it, in most situations you would report to someone in the human resources department. If you do not have HR in your company, you can bring your concern to anyone in management. You do not have to address the problem directly with the person who is harassing you, even if that person is your supervisor. If you work for a very small company and the person harassing you is the owner of the company, there is no need to make an internal report, as the owner is on notice of their own conduct. Learn more here about sexual harassment resources in Massachusetts. |
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