What to Do If Your Employer Ignores Workplace Harassment Complaints

As an employee in Pennsylvania, you have the right to work in an environment where you feel safe, comfortable and respected. Harassment in the workplace is prohibited; and, if you report harassment to your employer, your employer should take your report seriously, conduct an investigation and take any remedial action that is necessary.

But, what if it doesn’t?

Unfortunately, this is a scenario that employees in Pennsylvania face far too often. Rather than taking their employees’ harassment complaints seriously, many employers simply ignore them. They hope that the problem will go away on its own, and they hope that the employee who has been mistreated will not take legal action.

Documenting Workplace Harassment in Pennsylvania

If your employer ignores your workplace harassment complaint, you should not let this be the end of the story. Instead, you should take a proactive approach to protecting yourself, your mental health and your legal rights. This starts with documenting the harassment as thoroughly as possible. To document the workplace harassment you have experienced (or that you are continuing to experience), you can:

• Take Detailed Notes – Take detailed notes to record the harassment you have experienced. Write down what you have experienced, when you experienced it and who was involved. If you have been forced to endure a hostile work environment, any details you can remember could potentially be relevant to your claim.
• Keep Relevant Communications – If you have received emails, direct messages or other communications that are relevant to your harassment claim, be sure to keep these so that you can share them with your lawyer.
• Keep Other Relevant Documentation – Keep any other documentation that you think may be relevant to your harassment claim. For example, if you received a request for a quid pro quo and you have documentation of the job opportunity you were offered, you should keep this to share with your lawyer as well.

You can document workplace harassment through other means as well. Ultimately, anything you can do to document the harassment you have experienced (or that you are continuing to experience) will be helpful. If your employer is ignoring your harassment complaint, it will be up to you (and your lawyer) to prove that you are a victim.

Seeking Legal Advice About Your Situation

If you are a victim of workplace harassment, you should seek legal advice about your situation promptly. While this is true in all circumstances, it is especially true if your employer has ignored your complaint. Not only might you need to take legal action to put a stop to the harassment, but you might be entitled to financial compensation and/or other remedies as well.

Contact a Philadelphia Employment Lawyer for a Free Consultation Today

Has your employer ignored your workplace harassment complaint? If so, we can help you, and we encourage you to contact us promptly. To speak with an experienced Philadelphia employment lawyer in confidence as soon as possible, please call 267-273-1054 or request a free consultation online today.