A lot of female employees are subjected to sexual harassment in the workplace. Unfortunately, many of them don’t file a complaint with their employers. With the increasing number of women experiencing sexual harassment on the job, you might be wondering why don’t female employees come forward. Reporting sexual harassment can help a victim get the justice they deserve, especially when they work with a skilled Charlotte Sexual Harassment Lawyer. The lawyer will investigate the case properly to figure out if the conduct qualifies as a form of workplace sexual harassment. The following are the common reasons female victims of sexual harassment don’t report the misconduct:
They Do Not Know How to Respond to the Harassment
When it comes to workplace sexual harassment, employees are generally not trained and educated enough. And because of the prevailing stigmas that surround women and sex, some people may not seek it as a black and white problem. Thus, if a worker or supervisor makes a lewd comment or suggestive joke, people may not know if it is a significant issue to take seriously. And when the abuser gets more aggressive toward the victim, the element of shame and confusion clouds making a sexual harassment claim. And because most women don’t want to be victims, they believe it is normal to put up with hostile environments and sexual harassment.
They Don’t Have Faith in HR
Usually, company policies will dictate that possible sexual harassment should be reported to HR or a supervisor. However, Human Resources is mainly looking to minimize liability for management and the company. If the harasser is a high-level employee, HR may even report directly to the abuser, making the victim feel unsafe for reporting the behavior. Moreover, HR may tell women who speak up that they are just overreacting and don’t do anything to resolve the issue.
They Don’t Want to Lose their Jobs
A lot of female employees who report incidents to HR could face retaliation which could result in them losing their job and main source of income. Others think that filing complaints could make it impossible for them to achieve their career goals, particularly when the abuser holds higher positions within the company.
They Think Reporting is Futile
If the company owner or manager regularly shows inappropriate behavior themselves, female victims usually assume that it’s normal behavior. In such work environments, a lot of victims feel that reporting sexual harassment will be futile and won’t result in any meaningful change.
