Reporting Sexual Harassment in New York
Most every large employer in New York has some kind of employee manual with a sexual harassment policy. This policy will typically tell you how to report the harassment. For example, it might tell you to report the sexual harassment to human resources or it might even give you the name of someone or a phone number to call. You have to follow this manual and report the sexual harassment. You need to let the company know what is going on and give them a chance to fix the problem.
Do not hold back when you report it- be honest and tell the whole story even if it is embarrassing or crude. The company needs to know. You should put the complaint in writing and ideally you should see an employment lawyer so they can help you draft the complaint. Many companies will take action and stop the harassment. But if they don't stop it, then you can take legal action. But - if you do not initially follow the company’s sexual harassment complaint procedure, you may not be able to take legal action. The point is that you need to give the company a chance to fix the problem first.
