Drew Lewis

Employment Law Attorney
Last Updated:
  • October 23, 2024

When should I report sexual harassment at work?

The question of when to report sexual harassment at work might seem obvious. Shouldn’t you always report sexual harassment right away?  Sexual harassment takes many forms. Some sexual harassment is verbal and includes remarks about one’s physical appearance. It can also include sexually explicit comments. Other harassment is physical and involves unwelcome touching.

Serious instances of sexual harassment should be reported immediately. But what if the harassment you experienced feels only mildly uncomfortable? What if the person who harassed you is a colleague who has never acted like this before? What is going to happen to the person who is committing the harassment? These are common questions that victims of sexual harassment often wonder about when trying to decide whether and when to report workplace sexual harassment.

The purpose of reporting sexual harassment to management is to get it to stop. Sometimes that means management will counsel the harasser, move the harasser to a different department, suspend or even terminate the harasser. What matters is that you no longer have to experience unlawful harassment.

You should never tolerate inappropriate and unlawful harassment that makes you feel uncomfortable at work. If you are experiencing harassment that makes you feel uncomfortable about your relationship with a person or has caused a change in your working conditions (e.g., you dread coming into work, you avoid working with certain people, etc.) those are indicators that you need to report the harassment to management so they can address the situation. All employees have a right to work in an sexual harassment free workplace.

However, if you experience some of the questions above which make you unsure about whether or when to report the harassment, consider the following questions to guide you:

  • Is the sexual harassment affecting your work performance?

If the harassment is affecting your work performance, you should consider reporting it to management. Being harassed often affects your ability to focus and concentrate. It can also cause feelings of depression and anxiety. All of these can affect your ability to do your job well. If your performance begins to suffer, your manager might blame you because they are unaware that your poor performance is being caused by workplace sexual harassment.

  • Do you feel comfortable asking the person harassing you to stop their behavior? 

If so, you can communicate to them that their behavior makes you uncomfortable and ask them to stop. If you do not feel comfortable communicating how you feel, you should consider reporting the harassment to management.

  • Have you previously asked the harasser to stop? 

If you have previously asked the harasser to stop his or her behavior but they have not, then you should consider escalating the issue by reporting the ongoing harassment to your manager.

  • Is the person harassing you a manager/boss?
Managers and bosses often receive sexual harassment training and therefore have a greater understanding of what type of behavior is inappropriate in the workplace. While some managers who are made aware of their unwelcome behavior change, other managers respond by retaliating against the victim. If you feel your manager might retaliate against you for telling them their behavior was inappropriate, you should consider reporting it to a higher level management person, including someone in human resources.

Free Case Review

  • By providing a telephone number and submitting this form you are consenting to be contacted by SMS text message. Message & data rates may apply. You can reply STOP to opt-out of further messaging.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.