It can be stressful when you think somebody is being harassed in the workplace and even more stressed when that person is you. Luckily, there are tell-tale signs of being sure of what is happening and figuring out what to do next.
- Verbal
Verbal harassment can come in many forms, from aggressive emails, making a person feel very uncomfortable, to uncomfortable jokes. These can make you feel very uncomfortable and are a form of harassment.
If a person repetitively asks you for dates, romantic liaisons, or sexual favors in person over text, this is a clear case of harassment as they clearly aren’t taking the hint. These can feel quite intimidating and threatening, and they must be reported immediately. Simply imitating a person’s demeanor or accent is a cruel form of harassment; the instigator is definitely harassing that person, which is wrong on all counts.
Technology is a huge problem for harassment; people can no longer leave work and enjoy their evenings free from harassment. The harassment can continue throughout the evening through technological forms; it can feel endless.
- Physical
Physical harassment can sometimes be more difficult to recognize as it can be hard to vocalize and often is very subtle. Unwanted touching of clothes, hair, or body is a major form of harassment; this is clear and apparently obvious to the harasser that this is wrong, but they continue to do this regardless of that fact.
If a person frequently stands too close to you and intentionally follows you around, this is a form of harassment; everybody needs their own personal space. Another way harassment can be physical is if a person repetitively makes a sexual or inappropriate hand or face gestures always aimed towards the same person.
- Visual
This can be the most difficult means of harassment for outsiders to notice. If a person intentionally displays offensive material despite knowing that it will offend a particular person, this is harassment. This can be from intentionally showing pornographic or racist material to everybody, having offensive slogans on their clothes, and displaying offensive material in their office. If a person is aware of the impact this is having on another person yet ignores it and does what they please anyway, there is no question to this as this means this person has the intent and therefore is harassing others.
- Singled Out
If you are consistently being singled out for things that are not your fault, are completely irrelevant, and are out of order, the chances are that you are being harassed.
If you are being picked on and constantly made fun of and made to look stupid, this is intentional and harassment.
- YOU
The most important sign of harassment is how you feel about yourself. You know how actions are making you feel. If somebody else’s actions or behaviors are causing you to feel uncomfortable or stupid, this is a sure sign that you are being harassed or bullied.
