There is absolutely nothing wrong with your supervisor or co-worker commenting about your impressive outfit. However, if those remarks take a sexually-suggestive turn and, thus, make you uncomfortable, then you could be a victim of sexual harassment at work.
The first step towards seeking justice following a sexual harassment incident is obtaining adequate evidence to present your case. And this is where documentation comes in. With proper documentation, you can present your grievances to your employer, and if they fail to act, escalate the matter to the relevant authorities.
When should you document sexual harassment?
Putting your evidence together while the incident is still fresh in your mind allows you to come up with a consistent and accurate account of events. Remember, it does not matter how insignificant the incident is. Sexual harassment can start off with very benign gestures or harmless comments, and then escalate as the perpetrator gets more comfortable and confident in their approach.
What should you document?
As soon as the incident happens, be sure to notify the perpetrator that you do not appreciate their behavior — but don’t stop there. Write down the exact incident, when it happened (date and time) and where it happened. Be as detailed and clear as possible. If the perpetrator said or did anything, write this down too. And if someone witnessed the act, be sure to write their name as well. The more you document, the better, since that can help you refresh your memory if you have any doubts and lend credibility to your claims if the issue ends up in court.
There’s no excuse for sexual harassment. If you’ve been victimized by someone at your workplace, find out more about what it takes to pursue a successful claim.