Sexual harassment in the healthcare industry is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences for both individuals and organizations. It's crucial for healthcare professionals to understand their rights and know what steps to take if they experience or witness harassment. In this blog post, we'll discuss the specific legal definition of sexual harassment in the healthcare workplace, common types of harassment, and the unique challenges faced by healthcare workers.
What Is the Definition of Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment encompasses a range of behaviors, including unwanted touching, sexual jokes, sexual comments, quid quo pro requests of a sexual nature, the sharing of sexual material such as pornography, the spreading of sexual rumors, persistent unwanted sexual advances, and sexual assault.
Anyone can be sexually harassed, but women are more likely to be the victims. While some sexual harassment is blatant and obvious, other kinds can be more subtle. But if you feel harassed, chances are you have been.
What To Do if You’ve Been Sexually Harassed at Work
It’s important to not feel like you should be forced to quit. If you are sexually harassed, you are the victim. You’ve done nothing wrong. If you quit and don't see your claim through, you risk inadvertently terminating your rights.
Once you've reported the actions, sit back and wait. You want to make sure you have every option and opportunity to get your claims heard. This can take a lot of patience, but the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly. By making a report, you have done a brave and important thing that could help not only yourself but your coworkers.
How Do You Report Sexual Harassment?
When you have a chance, get to know the policy. Every company should have a written sexual harassment policy. Find it and note the steps of action. Report the incident to the designated representative, whether that’s a Human Resources representative, your supervisor, or another person.
If nothing happens after your report, keep moving up the chain of command. It’s vital to make yourself heard so this kind of unprofessional, harmful behavior can be stopped.
How To Handle Sexual Harassment at Work
First, write down what happened. It is easy to get facts confused once you start moving forward. Our memories are only so accurate, and as time goes by, they get less reliable. Put your complaint in writing and start keeping a journal to make sure nothing is overlooked. This is an important record of your experience, and while it may be painful to write down what happened, it’s a vital step in protecting yourself and holding the harasser accountable. Words have power.
Make sure you keep a copy of any correspondence you turn in to make sure nothing disappears. If you're reporting sexual harassment, make sure you note your complaint as sexual harassment instead of a hostile environment. This distinction may not seem important, but it will keep you protected under the law.
The Complexity of Workplace Sexual Harassment
One paradoxical aspect of sexual harassment is that it does not have to be completely sexual.
You don't have to be touched for your complaint to fall under sexual harassment, and it doesn’t have to be the sharing of sexual material or even the unwanted use of sexual language.
If you've been targeted, given different assignments, or been demeaned for any reason because of your gender, this also falls under that category. Report any behavior of this nature immediately. Harassers don’t get a free pass to treat women and men differently, even if their actions are non-sexual.
Will There Be a Lawsuit?
A lawsuit doesn't occur with one incident. It's very rare that one incident results in a full-blown lawsuit. Sexual harassment lawsuits are usually based on situations that are so severe and frequent that your employment conditions are harmed. One instance may start laying the foundation, but it's important to report any instance of harassment. Your employer must investigate all allegations of sexual harassment and take action. If you start being treated differently, keep reporting the abuse and report anyone who joins in the mistreatment.
Will the Harasser Be Fired?
The harassed person may not be fired. Your employer may have to build a case for the person to be fired. As long as you have reported the situation and they have addressed it, keep working.
Avoid your harasser if possible. If not possible, be on guard and write down any subsequent violations. Without a clear record of infractions, your employer will have no cause to fire or even reprimand the person. Your notes could be crucial.
Is Sexual Harassment on the Job Common?
Unfortunately, it happens a lot. Sexual harassment happens every day. For example, a study shows that half of female medical students face some type of sexual harassment.
What if Workplace Sexual Harassment Threatens Your Safety?
If your safety is threatened, it may be time to contact the authorities. This is when you must take matters into your own hands and contact an attorney. Your own safety should always come first, so if you need to put your own safety above your job, please do so. No job is worth the trauma of harassment.
Know that you are not alone, and do not keep quiet about the situation. If necessary, you can bring charges against your employer for not taking action.
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