Practical Advice To Respond To A Harassment Or Discrimination Complaint

A company's response, or lack thereof, to a complaint of harassment or discrimination can have serious legal consequences. Although many organizations doing business in the United States have seasoned human resources professionals in-house, there are other organizations who utilize office managers, officers, directors, controllers or other professionals to perform human resources functions in addition to other job responsibilities. This summary provides practical steps, for both the seasoned human resources professional or other professional whose duties include human resources functions, for responding to harassment and discrimination complaints.

First, the recipient of a complaint should take the complaint seriously but not assume that the allegations are true or false. Thank the complainant for conveying concerns, and remind the complainant that the company does not tolerate harassment or discrimination. Explain that you (or Human Resources, if appropriate) need to gather