There are many cases of workplace sexual harassment that are never reported. In other cases, people eventually do make their report, but there can be a delay of months or years before they do so. They may never even go to HR at all, but may simply speak up after someone else makes a similar report.
So why does this happen? Employees should never experience sexual harassment on the job, and there are legal steps they can take if it happens. So why do they fail to report it?
They’re worried about their job
Perhaps the biggest reason is simply that these employees are worried about their employment status. They’re afraid that they’re going to be fired, demoted or otherwise treated negatively on the job. Even if they’re not directly fired, they may believe that making these reports will stop them from getting promotions or raises in the future.
Another part of the problem is that they may not trust the human resources department. After all, HR workers report to the company and are not necessarily on the side of the employees. In many cases, it could be an employer, a manager or a supervisor who is perpetuating the harassment. If the HR department reports directly to the person who is committing the harassment, it’s understandable that employees would be concerned about their reports being taken seriously or addressed appropriately.
In other words, a lack of reporting does not invalidate these claims. It simply highlights how difficult it can be for employees to seek justice. They need to know exactly what legal options they have at this time.