Technology and Workplace Harassment
Ensuring a safe environment for employees is essential for every company. Harassment in the workplace is a common concept that may encompass a variety of verbal and physical actions, from offensive comments and sexual innuendo, to overt contact and abuse.
If the harasser is a manager or a senior executive, vulnerable employees may feel they’re unable to prove these occurrences. Luckily, there are a variety of technical aids that can assist victims collect facts. They vary from a simple mobile phone, to advanced digital forensic tools.
The advantage of technology is that it offers reliable proof that will allow prosecutors to create a compelling case. Voice records can be picked up by mobile devices and even remote home assistants, whereas laptops, webcams and video cameras may be used to collect visual evidence. Digital forensics tools, such as EnCase, are also able to retrieve images and documents from hardware devices even if they have been removed or deleted.
Also, it is important not to forget other forms of non-technical evidence. Files can become corrupted and overwritten, mobile phones can be lost or stolen, and online backups can fail. By keeping a hard copy of notes in a bound notebook, together with dates and times, there will always be a back-up to refer to.
The main thing to remember about workplace discrimination is that there is no replacement for case-oriented legal counsel, even though you may prefer to not hire a workplace or sexual assault lawyer. They are obligated to advise you whether you have a pursuable case or not and will assist you to take the matter forward.
The exact procedure you may have to undertake may rely on the employer’s prohibition on harassment in the workplace. There is no uniform model for this, you may need to check the company regulation booklets or their intranet for precise information. It is also likely that the regulation would be out of line with the legislation if it has not been changed in a while. It is another reason why a lawyer’s help is needed.
Harassment in the workplace can be tough to prove, but, utilizing technologies to document proof of inappropriate conduct is a perfect way to improve the case.