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What do I do when my coworkers are harassing me?

132 Answers
Last Updated: 06/02/2022 at 4:53am
What do I do when my coworkers are harassing me?
1 Tip to Feel Better
India
Moderated by

Smita Joshi, BA Psychology / MA / Advanced EFT Practitioner

Counselor

I am empathetic with my Clients going through emotional overwhelm and passionate in helping them. I am supportive, openminded & interactive in helping my clients.

Top Rated Answers
IceStar180
October 25th, 2017 9:29pm
I would be honest and tell them that they're making you feel uncomfortable. If the harassment continues, consider telling a senior member of staff. Nobody should make you feel like this, especially in a place where you have a job to do.
Anonymous
November 24th, 2017 11:11am
Be confident and pay a dam to them..we should always be polite to polite people and should always show our attitude to the morons who deserve it
Girlwithsuperpower
November 24th, 2017 4:01pm
You have ignore them.so show your anger in your growth.you can take those criticism as a fuel for your growth
KongfuPanda
December 7th, 2017 3:22pm
Be true to your gut feelings. If you don't feel comfortable, trust that feeling. Then make it clear to your coworker that his/her actions are inappropriate. Take it to HR when needed.
Anonymous
December 9th, 2017 5:09am
Harassment in the work place is, in most businesses, illegal and should be brought to the attention of your supervisor or manager to tend to. Harassment can lead to lower moral in the work place which directly conflicts with customer satisfaction and therefore the well-being of the company itself.
retrouvailles
January 12th, 2018 9:19pm
It is important to recognize that harassment is never okay. You should immediately report it to your supervisor/manager. Hopefully, they will take action. However, if you cannot report it to them for some reason - you should see if there is anyone else you can reach out to who is on a higher level. Most importantly, if the harassment is not getting better - it might be in your best interest to leave the job.
wonderfulEyes78
February 15th, 2018 9:07pm
Write a letter to them or your employer. Also tty not to think about it too much and try to do calming activities and inspirational stories. Stay positive as much as you can.
GoodPoint
February 18th, 2018 1:39am
If you feel comfortable, approach them and ask them politely to stop, saying that you don't appreciate what they are doing. If it continues, speak with your superior to seek assistance.
blissfulApricot
March 8th, 2018 1:45am
Ask for guidance from your line manager or another friendly source - noone should be harassed at work so you need to get support in how to prevent it from happening. I would urge staying calm, professional and light in tone when dealing with the people in question but remove yourself from situations you are not comfortable with. If appropriate, ask them why they are doing certain things, or gently point out that you don't like what they are doing. Never tolerate or ignore it but be open to discussion to understand what might be motivating them. Try to find ways you can reach them - but if its totally unreasonable then seek professional support from your line manager, or HR, within the organisation. Noone should every feel belittled, attacked or harassed at work and you definitely shouldn't feel like its something to put up with.
SweetStrawberry23
March 18th, 2018 12:35am
It is never a pleasant thing to go through, but don't stay silent, speak up. Tell your manager or speak to someone higher up in the head offices.
blissfulParadise29
March 28th, 2018 5:00am
I would go to my boss and if things didnt stop I would go to the court house and file a peace order.
AlluraNine9
March 28th, 2018 7:16am
Harassment in the work place is never something anyone should feel they must endure. First step would be to ask the offending people to stop. If you cannot or it has not worked then speak to your supervisor or manager. If the results of that discussion are not satisfactory then seeking assistance in HR would be a wise next step. Most companies have strict policies regarding this sort of thing and the harassment should stop once management is made aware. Once this is done keeping a journal of occurrences may be helpful and on occasion this may require legal advice. If there is a union presence involving a union rep would be a good idea.
Joyfulsmile
May 16th, 2018 1:37pm
If the harasser does not get a reaction from you, they may not be encouraged to continue their behavior. Think about a child not getting a rise out of their sibling, and then stopping the annoying behavior. or Confront your harasser and let them know their behavior is unacceptable. Be professional and firm.
Anonymous
May 20th, 2018 1:23pm
Looking for conversation is always the first step to take. Making sure others know how you feel is important because people may evaluate the situation in different terms
SupportiveSockMonkey
May 20th, 2018 4:20pm
The most important thing to do is if you have talked to them and they haven't backed off to discuss this with your boss, there should be a policy in place to protect you from harassment.
skilledhelper
June 13th, 2018 9:07pm
When your coworkers are harassing you, you should 1) not be afraid, 2) you should not tolerate it 3) you should report it to your supervisor/welfare officer.
warmPudding59
July 4th, 2018 9:29pm
If trying to talk to them doesn`t work, involve the management, supervisor, HR. It is their interest that you can be productive at work and harassment is not tolerable under any circumstances. If they do not act, feel free to contact further services or law services.
Akor1
July 21st, 2018 1:47am
If at all possible bluntly tell them to stop. Something like "I don't appreciate that, please stop it". If it continues then go to your manager or human resources. If you have dates, times and things said/done written down somewhere be sure to bring those and also let them know exactly when you told them to stop and how many more times it happened.
athenacleere
July 21st, 2018 1:59am
I understand you’re being harassed by your coworkers. If it’s an ongoing thing, i think you should contact their boss and address it with them.
HappyHarambe
July 25th, 2018 2:17pm
Sometimes people make fun of other people without knowing it, in that case asking them politely to stop will suffice. But if it’s intentional, if you are being harassed or abused physically or mantally or both by your coworkers, you can file a complaint about it to your higher authorities. If that doesn’t work, follow the anti-harassment protocol of your country and take steps accordingly. If things get severe, file a lawsuit against your co-workers those have been harassing you. Hope this helps.:)
gracefulPalm90
July 28th, 2018 8:10am
That's tough to be at work and deal with harassment from co-workers. What Kind of harassment? some types of workplace bullying are illegal and would require help from the police. If you feell safe to speak with your immediate manager it is helpful to tell them what is happening and also present to them so solutions. When you have solutions to the problem your manager may take this seriously and make the harassment stop. Any kind of abuse or harassment needs to be reported internally as well as externally (friends/police). Human resources are your next step if you necessary but HR is there to serve the interest of the company more so than the individual. Always have a safety plan to get away if needed and remember you are strong enough to fight back the lawful and correct way.
niceRainbows39
August 1st, 2018 9:27pm
You could ignore them and understand that you don't really need them to be kind to you in order to live a full and happy life, or you could talk to your boss about it.
Anonymous
August 11th, 2018 5:42am
The first thing I would do would be contact your Human Resources department and if they won’t help then I would talk to law enforcement
IngeniousForest13
August 29th, 2018 10:08pm
Most of the time,people harass others to receive a reaction that makes them feel superior. I recommend ignoring it as best you can so that they can see that you aren't going to put up with their silly behavior. If it continues for too much longer and/or it makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe then reporting them would be the best thing to do. If your complaint is ignored or not acted upon,follow it up. Show them that you are making a serious report. Don't let their silly remarks or childish behavior distract you from achieving the best work you can
avanef
September 15th, 2018 4:48am
Speak to them about it in person, let them know you don't like it and will not tolerate it. Sadly, sometimes those things don't always resolve and you have to be civil and work around them and make it seem like things are fine to please customers and all. But, if you think it's not working then speak to a manger or higher up and let them know you're being harassed and don't like it and things will be figured out from that. But, do understand in the work place or anywhere really that there are people out there who will treat you unfairly and poorly but you should always stand up for yourself and make sure that doesn't continue for you or anyone else.
MiffyCatMeow
September 26th, 2018 5:56am
Report to the supervisor. Trying my best not to give the response they want. Be firm and strong. Talk to friends about the situation and seek help from family for advice. If the coworkers are still causing too much trouble. The final decision is to quite the job. It’s not worth making life misery over this. But definitely learn how to deal with situation like this is always better. Because I would never know if a second harassing coworker would show up again. Learning to deal with people like that would prevent me from bouncing job to jobs. Be strong!
Dalhia2121
October 8th, 2018 3:07am
If experiencing harassment at work, one important thing you may want to do is first report it to your manager(s). If you do not feel comfortable reporting it to your manger, try a Human Resource Manger or any hotlines that your place of work may provide for situations like this. If the harassment reaches a level of physical harm or sexual harassment, report it to police immediately. There is no reason to feel unsafe or scared at work. Read your worker’s handbook or look online for any websites or phone numbers that you can call to report what is happening to you.
erykos111
November 23rd, 2018 2:34pm
First of all I would try to speak with whoever is harassing me, as they might be unaware of the fact that I am feeling low because of their actions of words. If that wouldn't stop, I would probably try to speak with me coworkers, seeking for their opinion, and checking if the person that is harassing me is doing this only towards me or it is doing it towards other people in my workplace. If the harassing would not stop I would speak either with my manager or hr, seeking their help and preventing other people to be hurt.
Friendlylistener95
November 27th, 2018 7:25am
You have to step up for yourself and show them how strong you are. I think it is important to contact your supervisor or even your boss in this case. You also have to tell your coworkers that its not okay, that they hurt your feelings. Meanwhile you can speak to a professional here at 7cups to help you process the harassing. I understand it can be very though and support is needed from people around you. Dont forget that no person deserves to be treated badly. You have the right to do your job peacefully without any interference.
Anonymous
April 3rd, 2019 8:37pm
You need to do two things: 1)Determine if there is actual harassment. Is your coworker just testing you? Are they pushing your buttons and trying to get a reaction? Males always test other males and confident women do the same. You need to find out if they are just pushing you as a test of confidence. Do so by reading into their message: Are they insulting you, deeply, or merely poking fun? If it is an insult, cruel ones, then yes, that is harassment. 2)Let a supervisor or HR know. Harassment in the workforce is NOT TOLERATED. If someone IS harassing you, report them. Most people who violate these set of rules get written up or fired promptly. Take care of yourself and don't overreact. You are more important than anyone else. Don't get yourself in trouble by fighting or reacting on an emotional basis. Report them and continue fighting the good fight!