IT Support Portland professionals typically involve most male species, but some women are brave enough to follow this career path. And as a female IT, you may constantly feel the need to prove yourself to your male colleagues. Though mostly discrimination is abolished in the workplace, there are still people who did not get the memo. So as a woman working in the world of men, you must equip yourself with the knowledge about sexual harassment and how to deal with it if it does happen to you.
Different kinds of sexual harassment
Sexual harassment takes on many forms, and it is not just about physical abuse. Let us take a look at various scenarios where sexual harassment plays a role in:
A man or men are staring at you inappropriately.
Jokes in a sexual nature that makes you feel uneasy at the IT Support Portland company
Sending you through email or social media sexual photos or images
Showing you sexual pictures or images in person, regardless of the location
Colleagues are forcefully hugging you, touching you, or any other form of physical contact that is not okay for you.
Demanding answers from you regarding your sexuality, about your body, and information about your sex life
Utilizing foul language to belittle your contribution to the IT service company or the IT industry in general
Using language to look heavily down on you because of your gender
Using social media to spread fake rumors about you in a sexual manner
Saying false rumors about you in a sexual manner to your other colleagues or other people connected to you
Blackmailing you for sexual favors in exchange for not firing you or letting you keep your job, or other means of exchanges
Stalking you at work, or outside work for the purpose of scaring you or having a sexual advantage over you, or gathering dirt on you to force you to quit your job as an IT Support Portland professional
Now that you know the different kinds of sexual harassment, then you are better informed now and will surely figure out if you are being harassed in a sexual manner or not. And so when one of the things mentioned above happens to you, make sure that you take note of what happened and know exactly what to do at this time.
What to do in a case of sexual harassment in the office
Being sexually harassed is not easy. You are the victim, but you can also be regarded as a traitor and a whistleblower, which can cause great difficulty and tension at work. But no matter the consequences, you need to make sure that you follow the steps in getting justice for what happened to you.
Information is the key.
Make it a point to read the policies and rules of the company you are working for. There will always be a manual in your workplace, so get it and read through every place, understanding everything and not skimming. Your full knowledge of the IT Support Portland company policies can open your eyes to your rights as an employee and your role as a female IT.
Record everything
In this day and age, it is not so hard to record everything around you. So if you feel sexually harassed at work, you need to do something to keep a record of what is going on, so you have proof of the sexual harassment. An explanation is better than the “he says she says” scenario, so use an audio recorder, or much better a video recorder in order to capture the sexual harassment and show it to the authorities or whoever is in charge of the company rules.
Appeal to stop
At the first offense of sexual harassment against you by a male colleague, you must take a step to ask him to stop. There must be an attempt from your side to stop the abuse, and if you cannot make him stop, then it is time to report the incident to the IT Support Portland company management. That is why you need to collect the recording first, to support your claim. And there is also a chance that your abuser will indeed stop his sexual harassment towards you. Just be clear about your intentions that you do not like what he is doing.
Alert your boss
If after you tell him no and he is still not listening and continues to harass you in any way sexually, then it is high time to report the abuse to your boss. Talk to human resources or your direct superior about what is going on with you at the office. Bring in all the evidence that you have gathered, and present them to the proper authorities. If in case your boss will not do anything about your case and will try to sweep it under the rug, then go to the appropriate authorities, which are the cops. As an IT Support Portland professional and as a human being, you have the right to be heard, and as a woman, you have rights against sexual harassment. So make use of your rights and expose your story, no what the consequences. After all, you are the victim.
Final say
Sexual harassment is sadly happening all over the world and at offices too. But if that happens to you, then you must not be scared to come forward. Yes, there will be social ramifications about it, and as unfair as things may seem, you are the victim, so never let anyone tell you otherwise. You may face bad stares from your co-workers because you are ratting out a colleague, and sometimes it does not matter for them that you are the unfortunate party. So you must hold your ground and keep your cool. What is important is you defend your right as a woman IT and do everything to keep your job as an IT Support Portland professional.
