What to do if…
your workplace is not responding to sexual harassment and the behaviour is getting worse

What to do now

1. Get to a safer pause first. If you are in immediate danger or being threatened, move to a public or safer area and call 911. If you are at work, ask a supervisor, security, reception, or a trusted coworker to help you relocate and not leave you alone with the person.
2. Use the employer’s listed harassment reporting route as soon as you safely can. Check the anti-harassment policy, employee handbook, intranet, hotline, ethics line, HR contact, supervisor route, or another named reporting option. If you cannot find the policy quickly, email HR and a higher-level manager or another designated contact.
3. Send a brief written report, even if you already told someone verbally. Use email or the company reporting system if there is one. Keep it simple: say you are reporting sexual harassment, say the behavior is escalating, list the most important dates or places, name any witnesses if you know them, and say who you already told.
4. Ask for temporary safety measures while it is handled. Ask for specific steps that reduce contact, such as no one-on-one meetings, no direct messages, a different schedule, a different workstation, a different reporting line, remote work if possible, an escort to your car or transit, or removal of the person’s access to your workspace.
5. Keep a private record you control. In a personal document or notebook, write down what happened, dates, times, places, witnesses, who you reported to, and what changed afterward. Keep copies or screenshots of messages where you can, and keep originals unchanged where possible.
6. Say retaliation concerns plainly in writing. You can write: “I am concerned about retaliation after reporting sexual harassment.” If your schedule, hours, duties, evaluations, access, or treatment changes after reporting, write down what changed and when.
7. Use a second internal channel if one route is stalled. If HR has not responded and your workplace has another route, such as an ethics hotline, compliance contact, corporate HR, a different manager, security, or a union representative, use it and mention your earlier report.
8. Consider external help without pressure. You generally may contact the EEOC or a state or local fair employment agency about workplace harassment or retaliation. EEOC filing deadlines are usually 180 days, or 300 days in many places where a state or local agency enforces a similar law; federal employees and federal job applicants usually have a different process, so check promptly if that may apply.
9. Get confidential support alongside workplace steps. You do not have to report to police to seek support. RAINN, a local sexual assault service, a victim advocate, an employee assistance program, or a trusted support person can help you steady the next step.
10. If you may want to report later, preserve what you can without forcing yourself through everything now. Keep relevant messages, items, photos, or notes as they are. Do only what is manageable and safe.