I’m A Manager And I Received A Sexual Harassment Complaint — Here’s What To Do…

If a manager receives a verbal or formal sexual harassment complaint, what is the best way to handle it?

Managers are in the unique position of being expected to guide teams of employees on complex projects.

It often requires working employees to work closely together and managers often need to find ways encourage their team members to open up and feel comfortable around each other. Managers are also expected to be professional and have a reasonable knowledge of company policies and regulations that govern what is acceptable behavior around employees.

When a manager receives a sexual harassment complaint on his or her desk, he or she may be freaking out. Maybe one team member is reporting another for inappropriate touching or repeatedly making lewd jokes. Remaining calm and going through these important steps can make the process go more smoothly.

1. Follow the already defined company process for handling complaints. If you are not familiar with the process, either read up on them or consult with Human Resources on any aspect that is not clear to you.
2. Take every single complaint seriously. Even if you think you have an idea of what happened, continue going through the company policy and conduct an investigation to ensure that appropriate steps to resolve the issue have been taken.
3. After taking action on the complaint, conducting an investigation, and making a determination, conduct a follow up. Have the steps you’ve taken worked? Are your employees satisfied with the result? Has it prevented future issues?
4. Conduct harassment and discrimination training periodically. Having employees watch a twenty-minute slideshow once a year may not be effective for preventing sexual harassment. Create interactive training sessions that are held multiple times a year and that are updated to reflect the changing times. Make employees aware of the process and of all their options and resources for reporting complaints.
5. Don’t let your personal opinions of certain employees cloud your judgment. You may want to give one employee who submits great work the benefit of the doubt despite obvious evidence that they are a problem team-member. Be aware of your own biases.

For more information or more details about the steps managers can take, send us a message.