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In any company setting, there is something known as the code of conduct. It is the ethical and moral guidelines of any company or organization. And so it goes without saying that one should follow it to the latter; otherwise, they have to face some dire consequences.
Unfortunately, sometimes people tend to overlook these rules and end up breaking the company policy, which could get you into trouble with the law.
Now, you might be wondering what kind of disputes we are referring too since there are so many. And so we will get right into it — workplace harassment.
Without any further ado, let us get to know what does workplace harassment entails.
Common types of office harassment
Picture this:
You walk into a meeting just two minutes late, and the general manager who is the moderator smacks you right on your chin. Is that okay? Definitely not! That is harassment of the highest order. And that kickstarts the list of types of office abuse known as physical abuse.
Physical harassment
The example above is just one form of physical harassment that can occur within a working station that no one should ever go through. Other kinds of physical abuse are like pushing, punching, pinching, and slapping. Physical abuse also involves when one flies off the handle and damages the property of fellow workers. For instance, if they hit their coworkers’ car or break their phone on purpose.
Personal harassment
Now, this is a more personalized kind of harassment focused on one person. In layman’s language, this is termed as bullying. It entails when one member of staff continually belittles their colleagues using hurtful insults, making unwanted remarks, and shouting at them. This form of abuse is mostly seen between a superior and a junior.
Discriminatory harassment
This form of harassment is the kind that one faces because of race, ethnicity, social class, or any other reason. The affected here is often meet with harsh comments about their specific condition and brought down because of it.
Physiological harassment
This kind of harassment is a long term effect of the bullying kind of abuse. Sending condescending comments to your colleagues over some time affects their mental health. It makes one loathe going to work and results to lower their work productivity. Manipulation in the workplace is a form of physiological abuse.
Cyberbullying
We live in a digital era that has brought with it vices that affect our lives. Cyberbullying is one form that has crept into our work stations as well. Some people take it to bully their colleagues by making hurtful comments on social media and other digital spaces.
Sexual harassment
In a working environment, people must act and behave professionally. And that means that the language they use as well as their actions must remain professional. But when someone starts making remarks that invoke any unwanted sexual tension, then that is sexual harassment. Things such as inappropriate touching, stares, and using sexual innuendo are part of it. Of which one may get a California sexual harassment lawyer to represent them.
3rd party harassment
Last but not least, there is a third party form of harassment. This is when someone who is not directly employed by your firm harasses you in either of the above ways. They could be a supplier, cleaner, or contractor.
Regardless of whether the abuse is sexual or any other, you may get a Los Angeles sexual harassment attorney to file your case for you.
From the types of abuse above, it is statistically proven that men are the main culprit to victimize other people, even though women can also be on the wrong. But there is a solution to this; you can report it and find an effective way to do so.
Effective ways successful men in California deal with office harassment
Even as a victim of any form of office abuse, you have to be careful about dealing with it as an ongoing harassment event. If it is handled the wrong way, it may result in you losing the case as well as your job.
With that said, a few things a California sexual harassment lawyer and any other assault lawyer would advise you on are as follows:
- Know your rights by going through the company’s handbook and the law at large. This will depend on the type of harassment you have experienced, as each has a different approach.
- Please report it to the appropriate authorities, do not go around spreading gossip as this lowers the credibility of your case.
- Put it down on paper describing how the ordeals happen. Be careful not to spice things up as this may be bad for you if you are found out.
- If the abuse was extreme, for instance, the sexual harassment resulted in rape, keep all the medical reports and the photos with you and present them to the California sexual harassment lawyer who represents you. They will work as proof of claim.
- Most office harassment cases happen in the presence of one or more members of staff. They might not have been part of the conversation, but they may have gotten a glimpse of the boss touching you inappropriately. In that case, get them to testify as a witness to your assault.
- There is power in numbers; thus, if the abuser, man, or woman is a repeated offender, rally up the troops and report the abuse as a group with proof.
How to maintain healthy and professional relationships at work
The following ways will help you avoid abuse in the workspace.
- Maintain a professional front in all your encounters with your colleagues, keep your personal life completely away from work.
- Dress appropriately. Although this is never an excuse, it is still sound advice for ladies and gents too. It sends out a message that you mean business.
- Do not entertain minor comments about your appearance and brush them off; instead, halt them as soon as they commence. Sometimes if you welcome the little jokes and comments, you give them leeway to keep going.
- Keep your distance to avoid awkward closeness that could be misinterpreted the wrong way.
Take Away
Taking a step back in the analysis of a lot of office abuse cases, they did not go from zero to one hundred in one instance. There were signs. And these are the signs any successful man in California with a great business relationship must read and deal with before they escalate. The best way to do so is to speak up. Do not see something going wrong and keep quiet about it. It may save you and save someone else in the future.
Cited Sources
- http://incubar.net/7-most-common-types-of-workplace-harassment/
- https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/10-tips-for-dealing-with-workplace-harassment.html
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This content is brought to you by Alexander Manors.
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