One of the biggest issues with sexual harassment cases is that it’s often one person’s word against the other. For instance, you may claim that your boss has been harassing you by threatening to fire you if you won’t provide sexual favors or making inappropriate jokes to make you feel uncomfortable. However, your boss categorically denies it and says it never happened.
This doesn’t mean you do not have a case, of course, but it does mean that documentation and proof are going to be very important. You need to strengthen your case by providing evidence that what you’re saying is accurate and true.
5 ways to gather your evidence
To help, here are five ways that you can begin gathering evidence and documenting everything:
- Write everything down in a journal. Make sure you keep records of names, dates and related information. If nothing else, this helps you avoid accidentally changing your story.
- Talk to others. The testimony of a witness who saw what happened is one of the best types of evidence you can get.
- Keep digital records of everything. For instance, if you get explicit text messages, take screenshots and keep them where they can’t be deleted.
- Consider multiple forms of record-keeping. You don’t want to lose everything or risk it being tampered with. Store pictures on your phone, upload them to the cloud, and print out hard copies.
- Save voicemails, videos and other types of content. Everything you gather can work together to paint a picture of what took place.
Since these cases can be complicated, make sure you are well aware of the legal steps you will need to take.