What to do, what to write down, and what deadlines to know about in the days after workplace sexual harassment.
Most people who contact us are not asking “should I sue.” They are asking a much earlier question: what am I supposed to do right now, today, while I still have to go to work tomorrow? This is a practical answer to that. It is not legal advice — we are not lawyers — but it is the shape of the thing.
Memory degrades and gets second-guessed, including by you. Write down the date, the time, the location, exactly what was said or done, and who else was present. Do it as soon as you can and keep doing it if anything else happens.
Keep this record somewhere that is not your work computer, work email, or work phone. Anything on a company device or account can generally be accessed by the company, and people have lost their own records by leaving them there.
Messages, emails, schedules, performance reviews, texts. Forward or screenshot them to a personal account. Do this before anything changes — access has a way of disappearing right when it matters. Be careful not to take anything you are not entitled to, like confidential company files unrelated to your situation.
This is the part most people find out too late. Charge-filing deadlines with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are short. Generally you have 180 days from the discriminatory act, extended to 300 days in states that have their own fair employment practices agency — Texas among them. Deadlines vary with the specifics and with state law, and other legal claims have their own separate timelines.
You do not have to decide anything today. But if there is any chance you will want the option later, find out where your deadline actually falls now, from the EEOC directly or from an attorney. A deadline that passes quietly cannot be recovered.
Human Resources works for the employer. That is not a conspiracy theory; it is the job description. Some HR professionals will handle your report with real care. The department's institutional function is still to manage the company's risk.
What follows from that is simple: if you report internally, do it in writing, or follow up a conversation with an email summarizing it. Keep a copy off company systems. A verbal report to a manager who later remembers it differently is worth very little.
Retaliation is adverse action taken against you because you reported or opposed harassment — and it is illegal on its own, separate from the underlying harassment. It is not only firing. Sudden schedule changes, a demotion, exclusion from meetings, a surprise negative review after years of good ones, or reassignment to worse duties can all count.
If anything shifts after you report, document the change and the date. Retaliation claims are frequently stronger than the original claim, precisely because the timeline is so visible.
People skip this because they assume they cannot afford it. Many employment attorneys offer free initial consultations, and many work on contingency — paid from a recovery rather than up front. Legal aid organizations handle employment matters in many areas. A single consultation may cost you nothing and will tell you more than weeks of searching.
Sleep, appetite, concentration, and the low hum of dread are not side issues; they are the damage. If your employer has an EAP you can use it, though be aware of what it may report back. Sliding-scale counseling exists in most areas. This is one of the things we help people find.
The most common trap we see is treating this as one enormous irreversible choice — report or do not, sue or do not — and freezing. It is not one choice. Documenting is not reporting. Learning your deadline is not filing. A consultation is not a lawsuit. Each step just keeps the next one available.
If you want help thinking it through, our Workplace Harassment Support program is confidential and free. Write to us and a person will answer.
Published August 5, 2026 by All4Aries, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Austin, Texas. This article is general information, not legal, medical, or financial advice.
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