Why You Should Be Journaling Your Workplace Harassment

When juggling your work responsibilities, the last thing you want to deal with is workplace harassment. It impedes your productivity, lowers your morale, and breeds anxiety and fear. If you’re a victim of workplace harassment, break out a pen and paper. It’s time to take some notes.

Initiative

Let’s face it. Many cases of workplace harassment go under the radar. A complaint is made, supervisors excuse the offender, and you’re given a lecture on being too sensitive. Round and round it goes with no signs of improvement. But with a little initiative, you can turn those unproductive conversations into a lawsuit.

Journaling

The solution? Journaling. When you start receiving unwanted attention or inappropriate comments, jot them down for future reference.

Capture Details

Include the date, the context of events, the offense, and the outcome. These details will solidify your experiences both for your supervisors and for yourself. Nothing’s worse than stumbling over details when you’re asked to recall them. Doing so makes your case look flimsy. Plus, you’re more susceptible to suggestion (“Is that really how he said it?”).

Keep It Private

Don’t do your journaling on your work computer. There are several reasons a digital copy is not the best method:

• It’s easy to delete—accidentally by you or on purpose by someone else.
• It’s easy to transfer. You don’t want it ending up in the wrong hands.
• It’s too accessible. IT personnel often have access to work computers.
• It’s too vulnerable. Computer crashes and viruses can destroy your evidence.

Keep It Objective

Don’t treat the journal as a diary. It’s not meant for musing about hurt feelings or venting about how uncomfortable your coworker makes you feel. Stick to the facts. When it happened, who was involved, and why was it inappropriate. Connect it to specific violations of workplace conduct.

State Your Case

Now that you have an arsenal of data, approach your supervisors once more. Request a private meeting and share the contents of your journal (without sharing or providing a copy of your actual journal). Your case will be more powerful.

When You Need Assistance

In a perfect world, your supervisors would apologize to you and fire your coworker on the spot. Unfortunately, superiors aren’t always so willing to cooperate. Maybe they still wave you off. Maybe one of them is your harasser. When you feel stuck and alone, turn to Pearson Butler for assistance. Our expert team is well equipped to handle your harassment claim, and we’ll make sure you receive the justice you deserve.

Call Pearson Butler at (800) 265-2314 to schedule a consultation.