Confession of a Female Employee in Her 20s About Workplace Sexual Harassment

A female employee in her 20s who joined a small-to-medium-sized enterprise has drawn attention by expressing her suffering from sexual harassment in the workplace on an online community.

In a recent post titled "I'm Suffering Because of a Director Who Chokes Me at Work" on Nate Pann, 24-year-old A shared the details of her ongoing sexual harassment situation over the past two years.

A explained that she is the only female employee in her 20s at her company, where most of the other employees are men in their 50s. According to her confession, a male director in his 50s yells every morning, "Make me coffee! Coffee!" and forces handshakes at quitting time. During the handshakes, he engages in inappropriate physical contact, with his hands even going under her underwear.

What’s more serious is that the director has also choked A.

A stated, "While I was working, he suddenly choked me. When I got extremely annoyed, he even questioned, 'Why are you so annoyed with me these days?'" Despite her supervisor pointing out this behavior, the situation has not improved, leading A to endure significant mental anguish to the point of contemplating resignation.

Response to Workplace Sexual Harassment and Legal Protections

In a follow-up post, A mentioned that she is currently recording her interactions at work and that the director's behavior temporarily subsided after her supervisor’s intervention. She also revealed, "I don’t smile or give in easily, and I’m making efforts to protect myself."

Workplace sexual harassment refers to actions by employers, superiors, or coworkers that utilize their position or job relevance to inflict sexual humiliation or disgust upon other employees through sexual remarks or behaviors. This is clearly illegal and is strictly regulated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act.

Despite the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Workplace Sexual Harassment Is Still Not Eradicated

According to Article 14 of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, anyone who becomes aware of harassment in the workplace is entitled to report it to the employer, who must promptly begin an investigation upon receiving the report.

Employers are obliged to ensure that the affected employee does not feel sexual humiliation during the investigation process and to take appropriate protective measures, such as changing the workplace or mandating paid leave if necessary.

If the facts of harassment are confirmed, the employer must take actions requested by the affected employee, such as changing the workplace or providing paid leave, and appropriate disciplinary actions against the perpetrator must be implemented. These legal protections are vital means for workplace sexual harassment victims to safeguard their rights.

A’s case illustrates that sexual harassment remains prevalent in many workplaces, and it suggests that social awareness improvement and institutional support are needed for victims to respond proactively and obtain legal protections.

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