How to combat sexual harassment at work? Start with a plan, experts say

A wave of sexual harassment allegations has flooded daily news cycles, and an all-female panel of speakers at the Manatee Tiger Bay Club says it’s just beginning.

“I think the reason now that we’ve had a sudden surge of sexual harassment is that we’ve had a sudden surge of people listening to women who have something to say now, and women are finding their voices,” said Judith Sedgeman, a principal at Sedgeman Consulting LLC.

Sedgeman was one of four panelists at the club’s monthly luncheon to discuss sexual harassment scenarios and solutions in the workplace. One of the key points the panel raised: Victims have more options than they think.

Evangeline Hawthorne, director of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Tampa Field Office, said anyone who feels they’ve been harassed in their workplace may file a complaint with her office within 300 days of the most recent occurrence.

“Sexual assault can manifest itself in many ways,” she said. “It could be verbal, physical or even pictures on a wall.”

Hawthorne described a scenario involving warehouse workers who hung up posters of “scantily clad” women along the walls, which offended some co-workers.

“You have people walking back and forth through that environment who find that offensive,” Hawthorne said. “Something like that can be sexual harassment.”

The EEOC website allows victims to file complaints online. Hawthorne urged anyone who felt they might have experienced sexual harassment to go through the process of filing a complaint, because a built-in questionnaire will satisfy their doubts.

From there, victims can schedule an in-person appointment to discuss the next steps. From start to finish, the process of resolving the dispute can take anywhere from six months to a year.

Hawthorne pointed out that the EEOC is “an administrative step before court action.”

“It doesn’t end with us, but it does start with us,” she said.

She’s taken complaints from migrant workers and white collar workers alike. The EEOC looks for evidence that proves repeated, unwanted advances and requests for sexual favors that cause discomfort in the work environment.

Claims can be difficult to prove, however. The most egregious acts of sexual harassment don’t have any witnesses, Hawthorne said.

And filing claims after the fact isn’t ideal, said Anne Chapman, a principal at Blalock Walters, P.A. who specializes in employment law. Employers should take a more proactive approach and take preventive measures against sexual harassment.

“As an employer, you can’t sit back and wait for people to come to you (with sexual harassment complaints). You need to be proactive in avoiding these issues,” Chapman said.

Chapman suggested employers implement an anti-harassment policy along with a complaint procedure. Every employee should know what to do when a coworker crosses the line.

“It’s going to come up,” Chapman said. “You’re going to find inappropriate conduct in your workplace and when you do, you investigate and you remedy it. It’s not the end of the world.”

The issue is that most businesses are more concerned about how a sexual harassment scandal will affect their image than the well-being of their employees, said Lee Eptling, a consultant for Technology and Women in Leadership.

Eptling shared multiple instances of sexual harassment from higher-ups in her workplace and said that eventually, she had to speak up. It’s the only way to change workplace culture.

According to Sedgeman, understanding the insecurities that lead to harassment is an important part of the process, as well. Society is geared toward fixing problems after they happen, she said, but using what we know about sexual predators is the key to prevention.

“It begins in the teenage years, but a lot of men get deeply insecure and think that, ‘If I can get a pretty girl to like me,’ they don’t have any consideration in that state of mind what the girl thinks,” said Sedgeman. “It doesn’t even cross their mind.”

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 3:47 PM with the headline "How to combat sexual harassment at work? Start with a plan, experts say."