If you have never been the victim of harassment in the workplace then you are missing out on one of the most humiliating and frustrating moments of your life. To be ridiculed or intimidated by a boss or co worker at a place you really don’t want to be anyway is both demoralizing and cruel. We need to work in today’s society so many of us just keep out mouths shut and put up with the abuse. We don’t want to lose our jobs and suffer the financial hardships that come with being out of work. But there comes a point where we can’t put up with the workplace harassment any longer and need to do something about it.

The thing holding most of us back from fighting a case of workplace harassment is the fear of retribution. We can’t lose our jobs or we can’t stand up to a workplace bully. Well as long as you continue to be afraid the longer you will continue to be bullied and treated like a second-class citizen. You are not a slave just because you work for somebody and if this boss is the one that is mentally abusing you then you need to stand your own ground and fight back. You must learn your rights as an employee. Just because someone gives you a check doesn’t give him or her the right to think he or she owns you. Put your fear aside and find out what you can do to protect yourself.

According to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission): “Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with work performance.”

If you are going to go through with any type of legal action then you have to have evidence to support your claim of workplace harassment. This can be in the form of a recorded conversation that shows the harassment taking place. In today’s electronic world it is very easy to hide a miniature recorder or even a small video device. It is important that you don’t entrap the person because you will have a hard time in court proving your case. A good defense lawyer will make you seem like the criminal and try to attack your character. Save any electronic communication that supports your case. Write down the time and date of each occurrence and anybody that might have witnessed the event taking place. Initiate a formal complaint with Human Resources and your supervisor if this is applicable. If it is your boss that is doing the harassing then make sure that you have enough evidence to support your case before you approach him. Sometimes just the threat of legal action will be enough to make them stop. You must also talk to a lawyer as soon as you have enough evidence. This is very important and will go along way in getting satisfaction and maybe help the next unsuspecting victim.

Do not be afraid of repercussions. There are laws, which protect us and guarantee us a safe working environment, this includes physically and mentally. If you feel you are a victim of workplace harassment then you must do something about it because if it is happening to you then there is a good chance that it will happen to someone else also.

Know your rights and stop being a victim. Visit my website at Hostile Workplace and discover what you can do to fight Workplace Harassment. You have more power then you think you do. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.