How to Report Sexual Harassment at Work

You should report sexual harassment at work by submitting a clear, written complaint to the person or department designated in the policy against harassment of your employer. This is usually the human resources department, a specific manager, or a dedicated compliance officer. Reporting the harassment internally is a critical first step because it puts your employer on official notice of the unlawful behavior. Once the employer is officially aware of the harassment, they have a strict legal obligation to investigate the claims promptly and take effective action to stop the behavior. If you do not report the harassment through the proper channels, the employer might later argue that they were completely unaware of the situation and therefore cannot be held legally responsible for the hostile work environment.

When you make your report, you must be highly specific about what happened. Include the full names of the individuals involved, the exact dates and times of the incidents, the specific locations where the conduct occurred, and the names of any witnesses who may have seen or heard the harassment. Providing a detailed, factual account helps the employer conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. You should always submit this report in writing, such as through an email or a formal letter, so that you have concrete proof of exactly when and how you notified the company. Relying solely on a verbal conversation can be extremely risky, as memories fade over time and verbal reports are easily denied, minimized, or misunderstood by management.

Review Your Employer Policy

Before you submit your report, you should carefully review your employee handbook, company intranet, or onboarding materials to find the official sexual harassment policy. This document will outline the specific steps you are required to take to report workplace misconduct. Employers typically designate specific individuals, such as a human resources director, a compliance officer, or a senior executive, to receive these sensitive complaints. Following the established procedure is important because it eliminates any confusion about whether you properly notified the company in accordance with their own rules.

If the person designated to receive complaints is the one harassing you, the policy should provide an alternative contact for reporting. You are never required to report the harassment directly to the person who is harassing you. In such cases, you should escalate your complaint to another manager, a different human resources representative, or the owner of the company. The primary goal is to ensure that someone in a position of authority, who is completely uninvolved in the harassment, receives your written complaint and can initiate an objective investigation into your allegations.

Document Everything in Writing

Creating a comprehensive paper trail is one of the most important actions you can take when reporting sexual harassment. Even if you have an initial meeting with human resources to discuss the situation verbally, you should follow up immediately with an email summarizing exactly what was discussed and what steps the company promised to take. Your written complaint should stick strictly to the facts. Describe the unwelcome conduct, the context in which it occurred, and how it has negatively affected your ability to perform your job. Avoid using overly emotional language, and focus instead on providing a clear, objective timeline of events.

In addition to your formal report, you should preserve any and all evidence related to the harassment. This includes saving inappropriate emails, text messages, voicemails, photographs, or notes left on your desk. You should also keep a private, detailed journal documenting each incident of harassment, noting the date, time, location, and any witnesses present. Keep this journal and copies of all evidence in a secure location outside of the workplace, such as on your personal computer or at your home. Do not store this critical information solely on company devices, as you could lose access to it immediately if your employment is terminated or if you are locked out of the system.

Understand Protection Against Retaliation

Many employees hesitate to report sexual harassment because they fear they will be fired, demoted, or treated poorly as a result of speaking up. However, federal laws, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, strictly prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who report sexual harassment in good faith. Retaliation can take many forms, including wrongful termination, unjustified negative performance reviews, reduction of scheduled hours, denial of promotions, or exclusion from important meetings and projects. If you experience any negative changes in your employment conditions after making a report, you should document those changes immediately.

If your employer retaliates against you, that retaliation constitutes a separate and distinct violation of the law. In some cases, an employee might not have a strong underlying claim for sexual harassment, but they may still have a highly successful claim for retaliation if the employer punishes them for complaining. You must continue to perform your job duties to the best of your ability after reporting the harassment. By maintaining your professionalism and meeting all performance expectations, you make it much more difficult for the employer to invent a legitimate, lawful excuse for taking adverse action against you.

What to do next

After you report the harassment internally, you must closely monitor the situation and preserve all evidence of both the harassment and your report. If the employer fails to take appropriate action to stop the behavior, or if you face retaliation for speaking up, you may need to file a formal charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or your state fair employment agency. Be aware that strict deadlines apply to these legal claims. Depending on your state, you may have as few as 180 or 300 days from the date of the harassment to file a charge. Because these deadlines are unforgiving and missing them can destroy your case, you should act promptly. This article provides general legal information and is not legal advice. For guidance specific to your situation, contact Atlas Law Center for a free case review at 630-394-6350.