IT Support Portland professionals consists of men and women, though the reality is men are bigger in number compared to their female counterparts. It is mainly because the IT job is widely advertised as a man’s job, so you usually can see many guys in an IT-related class compared to the girls. And when the learners become ITs and work for IT companies or are hired as ITs in different companies, the number of female ITs is significantly lower than the male ITs. And so in workplaces, it is not really that shocking to find that the only female IT in a group of men is sometimes sexually harassed by her colleagues. These do not happen to all work environments, but it is undeniable that this happens to some.
Sexual harassment defined
Contrary to ignorant beliefs, sexual harassment does not only involve rape or sexual penetration. Sexual harassment includes many things, particularly sex discrimination. Sexual harassment in an IT Support Portland workplace can occur when the female employee is harassed or bullied because of her gender, status, physical appearance, religion, color, national origin, or even job description. In fact, sexual harassment is not limited to girls. Men can be harassed too the same way that women are. But in this post, we will focus our attention on the sexual harassment that women ITs are facing.
Sexual harassment also involves sexual advancement that has no prior approval from the female employee. Companies are strict about this kind of mistreatment, significantly when the performance of the female ITs is greatly affected by the misconduct of her fellow ITs. Sexual harassment also includes verbal hostility and utter disrespect of the employee’s rights based on her sex.
Handling sexual harassment in a workplace
As a woman, you have the right to be respected and not mistreated, especially in a working environment where IT Support Portland professionals are mostly men. And if you happen to be a victim of this kind of torment, then it is ideal that you know what to do, so you can protect yourself, fight for your right, and have the people responsible answer to you and to the authorities.
Give a fair warning to the abuser.
If a fellow IT is harassing you in any form in the office, you must give a warning never to do it again. Use the cop card, and threaten to call the police if the sexual harassment happens also. Still, of course, this only applies if the mistreatment includes subtle bullying and verbal or written hostility. But if you are physically abused, then you must not give a warning but call the authorities immediately. It would be best if you were not afraid to tell the truth about what happened to you. Shame is not a factor that you should listen to since embarrassment for what happened to you only leads to letting your abuser get away with what happened to you.
Let your HR and bosses know.
No matter how petty sexual harassment is, it is still called the same. So make sure that the IT Support Portland company you are working for knows what happened. You need to protect yourself every now and then and not give your oppressors another chance to do the worst things to you. You can forgive if the offense is light, but make it a point to have your HR and bosses know about it and let the mistreatment appear on the record. This ensures that your abuser will think twice before harassing you again in any form.
File a formal complaint
There are simply sexual harassment cases that cannot be settled in-house and need the authorities’ mediation. When you are sexually harassed inside an IT Support Portland company’s offices, you must make sure that the responsible parties are held accountable for their actions. Teach them a lesson so they will not do the same thing to other female ITs or other women in general. File a legal and formal complaint to let them know that you are very serious about your rights as a female employee, and you are not afraid to voice out your concerns. So no matter who the abusers are, even if it is your boss, you must gather the courage to tell your side of the story and seek justice. But be warned, though. When female victims of sexual harassment reached a point of legal action, the other party never fails to ask for a settlement. And when the time comes, it is up to you if you want to settle things and receive monetary compensation for your troubles, or you can decline the offer of money and continue to file a legal claim against the people responsible for your emotional, mental, and physical trauma.
See a shrink
It is highly advisable that you set a meeting with a professional psychologist after you experience sexual harassment in the office. No matter how hard you push to deny it, your job as a female IT Support Portland professional is affected by the torment you went through. Even if you convince yourself that you are fine, there may be hidden trauma deep inside you that can lead to a mental breakdown later on. And so, to protect yourself from future harm, you must ask the assistance of a registered shrink to check if everything inside your mind is in perfect condition. We’ll never know you may discover things about yourself that you are not aware of in the past.
Bottom line
To be a victim of sexual harassment is not easy, and no woman in her right mind will ever want to go through this mess. But if, unfortunately, you become a victim, you need to stay healthy and keep your wits together. Remember that you must grow as an IT Support Portland professional, and no one or anything must hinder your climb to the ladder of victory in your chosen IT field.
