How to file harassment charges against HR manager

What is one step for an employee looking to file harassment charges against their HR manager?

We asked legal professionals and business leaders this question for their best advice. From documenting all events to finding online resources, there are several ways to prepare and file harassment charges against a manager in human resources.

Here are five ways to file harassment charges against an HR manager:

Document All the Events
File With the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Employees Must Provide Practical Information
Report to the Next Level Manager
Gather Verifiable Evidence
Find Online Resources

How to file harassment charges against HR manager

Document All the Events

For an employee to have a strong case against any management executive, it’s very important that they carefully document the harassment in as much detail as possible. From the date to the name of the HR manager, the incident in question and the entire nature of the interaction as well as important sentences and statements made should be mentioned clearly so that they can later be used when filing a case. In case, there were any witnesses, it would be a great idea to note down their perspective on the event as well.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

File With the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

If an employee feels that they are being harassed by their HR manager, they should first speak to their HR manager to try and resolve the situation. If the employee is not comfortable speaking to their HR manager, they can speak to a supervisor or manager within their company. If the situation is not resolved, the employee can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Matthew Ramirez, Rephrase

Employees Must Provide Practical Information

Employees provide specific and practical information while filing harassment charges against their HR manager. Your HR complaint must consist of precise details regarding the situation. For example, a complaint that illustrates your HR manager made you uncomfortable doesn’t work. Instead, you need to provide detailed and specific actions or comments the manager made, which made you feel embarrassed. As said, if you’ve been documenting these instances, you can use those notes as your top-notch supporting evidence.

The complaint must include the following details:

Witness to the incident
A precise explanation of what happened
The time, date, and location of the incident
Who was involved in the incident, their names, and positions

John Tian, Mobitrix

Report to the Next Level Manager

Reporting is the first step to be taken by the harassed employee according to the workplace harassment law when filling the harassment charges against the HR manager. The employee must report either verbally or by writing to the next level manager by giving facts of the incident and the HR manager’s name. After giving out all the crucial information, the investigation should start immediately without retaliation for taking action.

Ryan Yount, Luckluckgo

Gather Verifiable Evidence

One of the main and most important steps to filing harassment charges against an HR manager is to provide verifiable evidence. You have a better chance if there is concrete evidence vs it looking more like a “he said, she said” case. If you have witnesses who can provide notarized attestations, time stamps or even video evidence (someone is always recording) then your case will be open and shut.

Chandra Aiken, Easy Choice Recruiting

Find Online Resources

Everyone deserves to be safe at work. If you’re experiencing workplace harassment, please research your rights, report the incident, and find support through family, friends, colleagues, or professionals. Here are just a few resources to help you file harassment charges against a manager.

Adrian James, Terkel

Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.