Employees should report sexual harassment as soon as it happens. They need to put an end to the behavior, and they deserve to have a safe work environment. They do not deserve to face sexual harassment or discrimination at the hands of co-workers, supervisors or executives.
However, it is clear that this does not always happen. In some cases, people report events that occurred months or even years earlier. Often, once one person comes forward, other employees will do the same and tell similar stories that have happened to them.
Why is there this type of delay? What causes people to put off reporting workplace sexual harassment?
Wrongful termination issues
One of the biggest issues is that employees are worried that people will not believe them. If a receptionist at a billion-dollar company claims that they are being sexually harassed by the CEO, they may fear that everyone will think they are lying and will believe the wealthy and affluent CEO’s account over theirs.
A related issue is that workers are then worried about their jobs. Are they going to be demoted or denied promotions in the future? Are they going to be fired outright? Could they even be blackballed in the industry, making it more difficult to get another job in the future?
For these employees, the thing to remember is that firing someone for reporting sexual harassment is wrongful termination and is illegal. When employees believe that this has happened, it is crucial that they understand what steps to take, what their employer’s responsibilities are and what rights they have. Getting experienced legal guidance can be helpful when an employer doesn’t respond to a sexual harassment complaint as they should.