Abuse of authority is more common and happens more often than people admit to.

What abuse of authority may look like:

1. Inappropriate comments or conversations.
2. Unwanted touching and/or harassment.
3. Making or aggressively requesting you to do things that are beyond your job description.
4. Threatening to demote or terminate your position in you do not comply with personal and/or inappropriate requests.
5. Threats or implications to blackmail or negatively affect your reputation.
6. Making sexual jokes or references.
7. They are putting you in uncomfortable situations that make you question your physical, mental, or emotional health.

What to do when you are put in an abusive or potentially abusive situation:

• Document every incident. Put it in writing, and make sure that you have the date of the incident, what transpired, and how it made you feel.
• Tell a trusted friend or advisor. Let people in your circle know what you’re dealing with.
• Do not isolate or keep these incidents to yourself. For your own well-being, let people know what you’re going through. You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.
• Tell a superior or manager. They have an obligation to go to whoever is above them and deal with this situation. If this doesn’t happen, then go to a lawyer or contact the Department of Labor.
• Seek advice from a lawyer or person who has wisdom about the situation.
• Research what your rights are.

Why people allow these incidents to go undealt for so long:

• Fear of revenge or losing their jobs.
• Threats or intimidation.
• Not having safe resources to go to. Unfortunately, there are some places that don’t have many safe resources for people to go to.
• The feeling of guilt or shame that you have been put in this situation.

I dealt with a situation where a superior said some inappropriate comments and requested me to do something that was completely inappropriate. As violated as I felt, I didn’t know what to do. I confronted this person and told them how inappropriate their actions were, and I told them how uncomfortable they made me feel. I also told a few people what happened. This person ended up being disciplined and the environment got better for me. Going through this situation made me feel doubt, shame, and fear of what would happen if this situation wasn’t handled appropriately. When it happened again, I quit and went to the Department of Labor. At the end of the day, I didn’t deserve what was going on, and something had to be done.

Words of encouragement:

Although you may have been put in this situation, it is not your fault. People in positions of authority, for whatever reason, sometimes feel that they can use it to their advantage. It is your right to feel safe in your workplace. No one has the right to make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable in your place of employment.