When interacting with the complainant or the alleged victim, don’t attempt to ease the tension by making jokes or comments that could be considered offensive.  Act professionally at all times, especially when dealing with allegations of sexual harassment.

Don’t respond to the situation if you are unsure of the appropriate actions to be taken or if you are not familiar with internal policies.  Contact Human Resources or the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs for assistance.

Don’t assume that your gut feelings are accurate. Get the facts.

Don’t grant some employees favors that others do not enjoy.

Don’t laugh at a joke one day and call it offensive the next.

Do take all complaints seriously, no matter what you believe to be true.

Do focus only on job tasks when talking to employees about performance.

Do learn about the issues of sexual harassment in the workplace by reading trade journals and newspapers and by familiarizing yourself with internal policies.

Do take a training class on sexual harassment prevents.

Do carefully document the incident by writing down the who, what, where, and when of each incident and keep it on file.