Workplace sexual harassment can come in many different forms. Some people find themselves the brunt of crude jokes. Others are pressured into relationships with supervisors. Still others just find that a lot of microaggressions create a hostile work environment.
Many of these things happen in the workplace, during business hours. But it’s important to remember that this type of harassment could also happen online.
How could this occur?
For instance, your co-workers likely know your work email address or have seen it tagged in company-wide emails. If one of those coworkers sends you an explicit email or replies to one of your messages with suggestive comments, that is still sexual harassment, even though they didn’t say it to your face. This could even be someone who has barely spoken to you in person.
These types of things can also occur over the phone. Someone may make comments on your social media profile that you don’t appreciate, or they may text you pictures that are explicit or sexual in nature. Again, no one else is going to witness this behavior and it all happens online, but that doesn’t make it right. This can still contribute to workplace sexual harassment and can make you feel very uncomfortable at your job.
What can you do?
The good news is that you still do have a lot of options as an employee. You need to take the time to consider the potential legal steps, as no one deserves to be treated like this on the job. Plus, online harassment is often easier to document since you can save the messages or pictures that were sent to you.