Sexual harassment at work

What can you do? / How can you help?

An initial difficulty is that of acknowledging that what has been experienced is indeed sexual harassment. This is why, first of all, it is important to take your own feelings seriously and realise that each woman has a right to a job, where she is not harassed.

It is advisable to reject the harassment directly and immediately outright during the first incident, e.g. with a loud response given even if the harassment is whispered. The “confidential nature” and the secrecy of the harassment situation can be eliminated with a loud response, and there is thus a possibility that other people will be made aware of the incident.

An offensive and active approach directly and immediately during the first assault is clearly an advantage. Good options for a first reaction are to take the molester to task and refuse to tolerate the harassment, threaten to make a complaint or an actual complaint, announce that you will be telling others about the incident or sue the molester and also put up physical resistance.

In any case, the circumstances of the offence should be put in writing immediately after it has occurred.