How to Handle an Employee Sexual Harassment Complaint

How to Handle an Employee Sexual Harassment ComplaintHow to Handle an Employee Sexual Harassment ComplaintWhen an employee complains that he or she is experiencing sexual harassment of any type, the employer has a legal, ethical, and employee relations obligation to investigate the charges thoroughly. The employer cant decide whether to believe the employeebut must take him or her at their word. If an employer hears rumors that sexual harassment is occurring, the employer must investigate the potential harassment. It can include hearing gossip from other employees.It can involve instances in which noninvolved employees or friends of the targeted employee bring up the subject with Human Resources to help their coworker or friend who is embarrassed to go to HR.It can also include any instance in which an employee tells HR about questionable behavior that they have witnessed. These are examples of how seriously employers must take sexual and any other form of employee harassment that is or may be occurring in their workplace. As an HR staff person, one of the most common requests that will occur when you are approached by an employee to talk is that they want to tell you something, but you must first promise to keep it confidential. Employees do bedrngnis well understand confidentiality in HR. You must be prepared to answer that request by responding that if you can, you will keep the matter confidential. Some issues you are required by law to pursue whether the employee wants you to pursue the allegations or not. Sexual harassment is one of them. How to Handle Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Before a complaint is filed, make sure you have posted and informed all employees of your organizations policy relative to sexual harassment. It wont be tolerated it will be investigated.Provide several different ways in which an employee can make a formal charge or complaint. You will not want to make complaints to the manager or supervisor the employees only vorkaufs recht as this may be the individual about whom the employee needs to complain. Human Resources offices are an excellent option. So is the CEO, president, or company owner unless they are the harasser. A manager is also a good option if he or she is not involved. Assign a staff member to own the complaint. This individual should be knowledgeable about the organization, the people in the organization, and the history of the organization.Map out a plan that covers the important people and situations to investigate from the initial complaint. Plan the investigation, based on current knowledge.Talk with the employee who is complaining. Guarantee that he or she is safe from retaliation and took appropriate action in reporting the incident or general situation no matter what the results of the investigation found. Inform the employee that you need to know immediately about any retaliation, purported retaliation, or ongoing harassment the employee experiences.Ask the employee to tell you th e whole story in his or her own words. Listen with care take notes to document the conversation thoroughly.Write down relevant facts such as dates, times, situations, witnesses, and anything else that seems relevant.Tell the person accused that a complaint has been filedand that no acts of retaliation or unethical actions will be tolerated. Ask the person to be patient while you conduct a thorough investigation. Assure the person accused that a fair and just investigation will be conducted on their behalf as well as that of the accuser.Interview any potential witnesses in the same manner. Ask open-ended questions and seek facts that support or disprove the employees allegations.Interview the person who is accused of sexual harassment. Apply the same listening and respectful approach you accorded the person who filed the complaint and the other witnesses.Take all the information you received and attempt to reach a decision. Make the best decision that you can with the information you have. Consult with other HR colleagues to do the right thing. Consult with an attorney to ensure that you are looking at the whole situation fairly based on the evidence you have. Make sure the attorney supports the direction you are taking.Based on all of the documentation and advice from colleagues and your attorney, make decisions about whether sexual harassment occurred. Provide the appropriate discipline to the appropriate people, based on your findings. Make work or assignment setting adjustments, or change a reporting assignment if necessary.Recognize that you are not perfect no situation can be perfectly investigated. Even when harassment may have occurred, and you believe it may have occurred, you may have no facts or witnesses that corroborate a complainants statement. Assure that no further incidents occur by following up, and documenting your follow-up with the employee who made the original harassment claim. Keep documentation separate from the personnel file.Afford th e employee, who may have been wrongly accused, the same courtesy of follow-up and documentation. Adjust working situations fairly where necessary for the comfort and productivity of all. Tips to Consider Legally, the employer will want to avoid any possibility or appearance that the employees complaint was disregarded. Respond immediately.Ethically, the employer will not want to allow such behavior to exist in their workplace.The trust, morale, and fair treatment of employees are at stake. An employers actions send powerful signals about what another employee can expect in similar circumstances.You may want to consider reposting and reiterating your sexual harassment policies across your whole workplace. Let the circumstances guide your judgment. In all cases, make sure that you write and keep complete and accurate documentation. Employees who are unhappy with the results of your investigation may take additional legal action. DisclaimerPlease note that the information provided, while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality. A worldwide audience reads the site, and employment laws and regulations vary from state to state and country to country. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct for your location. This information is for guidance, ideas, and assistance.