Supporting Resources, with Anonymity, for IL Workers
Because experiencing sexual harassment or a sexual assault can be traumatic, it’s important for workers to know about available resources to support persons affected by sexual harassment or sexual assault in the workplace.
Supporting resources can include:
Resources Outside an Employer/Company
Sexual Assault and/or Sexual Harassment Helplines, local or national. Usually these resources are 24/7.
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For example, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, https://icasa.org/ or the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence https://www.ilcadv.org/
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Or see the Illinois Attorney General’s list of hotlines posted at https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/women/hotlines.html
Any other private or public sexual violence associations and organizations, as well as legal resources, may also be of good support to persons affected by sexual harassment or sexual assault in the workplace.
Employer/Company-Specific Resources
Companies can also provide (or contract with providers) to provide supportive resources for their workers:
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Any Employee Assistance Program offered by the company
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A Workplace Violence Program Manager, if one exists. Often this individual is a professional victim advocate specially trained in these matters.
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Victim Advocate Liaisons, if this network exists (usually in larger organizations). These are usually trained full-time employees who volunteer for this role in a service capacity. While typically not counselors or therapists, these liaisons often operate under the direction of a Workplace Violence Program Manager.