You should never feel uncomfortable around people you have to work beside. The dread you feel going into work on a daily basis may grow into something that eventually begins to impact your physical and mental health.
Workplace harassment is illegal in Indiana, and you have the right to report it to your superiors when you feel like it happens. Delve into some examples of harassment so you can have the opportunity to recognize the signs.
Sexual harassment
The most well-known type of harassment is still one of the most underreported. Sexual harassment comes in many forms on the job. Some victims report coworkers who make physical contact, either by touching or brushing up against them. Other people may feel like there is an implication of a loss of status on the job if a personal relationship does not occur. Repeated stories or jokes about sexual acts may also rise to harassment.
Age-based harassment
As an older employee, you may have moments where you feel like the office is growing younger around you. As it turns out, it may not all exist in your head. Age-based harassment or discrimination may frequently occur in some work cultures. Do you feel like conversations and comments revolve too much around age? Do punchlines almost always come back to how old something or someone is? If you feel like employees and even bosses prefer to deal with younger folks, you may have a case for age-based harassment.
Harassment is evidence of discrimination. Reporting it as soon as it occurs may help clear the toxic personalities from the workplace and improve the culture for everyone.
