Harassment or Threats at Work? Where to Turn

Ordinary work stress comes from the job itself: deadlines, workload, a demanding manager. It becomes something else when someone threatens or harasses you, treats you worse because of who you are, punishes you for speaking up, or the work puts your safety at risk. Then the first steps are safety, a written record, and the service that handles it.

Key takeaways

Threats, harassment, discrimination, retaliation and unsafe conditions are different from a hard job, and they have their own routes: 911 for danger, and agencies such as EEOC and OSHA for the rest.
A dated, written record kept somewhere that's yours, not only on a work device, is one of the most useful things you can start today.
You don't need to be certain something "counts" before you write it down, tell someone you trust or contact a service, and this page can't decide that for you.

Written bySakshi Thakar, M.Sc. Clinical Psychology · Coach at Ventoutt·Reviewed byAnshika Jain, PhD scholar, M.A. Clinical Psychology·Safety and care routes reviewed by an Associate Licensed Counselor·Published Nov 1, 2026 · Updated Nov 1, 2026·Editorial policy·How we review content

Reviewed by a licensed counselor
No sales pitch — care routing only

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Is anyone hurting you right now, or are you thinking about ending your life?

If someone at work has hurt you or is threatening to, if you're not safe where you are, or if you're thinking about ending your life, stop here and use these now:

If you need help now

If you are in the US and having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or need crisis support, call or text 988 or use 988 online chat. For an immediate life-threatening emergency, call 911. Outside the US, contact your local emergency or crisis service. Coaching, venting and a therapy waitlist are not emergency services.

See suicide prevention helplines for your country

Is anyone at work — a manager, a coworker or a customer — threatening you, harassing you, or making you afraid to be there?

Yes → If you're in danger now, call 911. Otherwise, the services that handle harassment, threats and unsafe conditions are listed below, and the first steps are here.
Not sure → Keep reading. The table below describes the difference, and you don't need to be sure to use any of it.
No → If work is hard but nobody is threatening or harassing you, the guide to work stress has the next step.

How do you tell ordinary work stress from something unsafe?

Hard jobs can involve unfair criticism, impossible deadlines and managers who are difficult to work for. That's stressful, and it's worth dealing with. It becomes something else when it's aimed at who you are, when it frightens you, when it punishes you for speaking up, or when the work itself could hurt you.

What's happening	Hard, but ordinary work stress	Something else: start with the routes below
How you're spoken to	Blunt or unfair criticism of your work	Insults, slurs, or comments about your race, sex, religion, age, disability or another part of who you are
Pressure	Tight deadlines, a heavy workload, a manager who checks in too often	Threats to hurt you, or to your job unless you go along with something that isn't part of it
Attention	A coworker who's awkward or talks too much	Unwanted sexual comments, messages, touching or requests
After you speak up	You don't get the outcome you asked for	Worse shifts, pay or duties after you complained, reported something or asked for an accommodation
Customers	A customer who's rude or demanding	A customer who threatens you, follows you or touches you
Conditions	Long, tiring shifts	Being told to do a task without the training or safety equipment it needs, or in conditions that could hurt you

This table describes situations; it can't decide what counts legally, and recognizing your situation in the right-hand column doesn't mean you have to act a certain way. If something there is happening to you, the steps and routes below are for you.

What should you do first if you're being harassed or threatened at work?

Get safe. If you're in danger now, call 911. If you can, move away from the person and tell a coworker, a manager you trust or security.
Write it down while it's fresh. The date and time, where it happened, what was said or done (word for word if you can), who saw it, and what you did next. Keep the notes on paper or a personal device, not only on a work device or account you could lose access to.
Keep what was sent to you. Save texts, voicemails and messages that came to your personal phone or accounts. Before forwarding work emails or files to a personal account, check your employer's policy or ask a lawyer, because doing that can cause problems of its own.
Don't rely on secret recordings. Some states require everyone's consent before a conversation is recorded. Written notes are the safer record.
Tell someone you trust. A friend, a family member or a coworker who knows what's been happening means you're not carrying it alone, and they can help you remember dates later.
Find out how to report it at work. Your handbook or HR portal may describe a complaint process, including who to go to if your manager is the problem. A report sent by email gives you a dated copy.
Check the time limits. The agencies below have deadlines for complaints, listed with each one. Look them up early, even if you haven't decided what to do.

Who handles harassment, discrimination, threats and unsafe conditions at work?

Each service below is named and linked so you can read on its own site what it handles and how to contact it. We haven't assessed them.

Service	For	Contact	Read on
EEOC	Harassment or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), disability or genetic information; retaliation	1-800-669-4000 (TTY 1-800-669-6820; ASL video 1-844-234-5122) or the online Public Portal. Charges aren't taken by phone. 180 days to file, extended to 300 where a state or local agency enforces a similar law	www.eeoc.gov/harassment www.eeoc.gov/how-file-charge-employment-discrimination
An EEO counselor at your agency	Federal employees and job applicants: discrimination or harassment at a federal agency	Contact an EEO counselor at that agency, generally within 45 days	www.eeoc.gov/federal-sector/overview-federal-sector-eeo-complaint-process
OSHA	Unsafe working conditions; retaliation for raising them	800-321-6742 or the online complaint form. Retaliation complaints: 30–180 days depending on the law; some allow only 30	www.osha.gov/workers/file-complaint www.whistleblowers.gov/complaint_page
RAINN	Sexual harassment or assault	800-656-4673, text HOPE to 64673, or chat at RAINN.org/hotline; 24/7, in English and Spanish	rainn.org
988	Emotional distress, thoughts of suicide	Call or text 988, or chat at chat.988lifeline.org	988lifeline.org
911	Immediate danger	911	—

Three more things worth knowing:

Your state may have its own agency that handles workplace discrimination, alongside EEOC. If you work for, or applied to, a federal agency, the route is different: you contact an EEO counselor at that agency, generally within 45 days.
If you're an intern, a contractor or a gig worker, ask the agency whether your situation is covered before deciding it isn't. If the internship is through your school, your internship coordinator or career center can also help.
For a legal question about your situation, such as whether you have a claim or what to do about a deadline, talk to an employment lawyer.

What if you're afraid of losing your job if you speak up?

That fear makes sense, especially in a first job or when rent is tight. Being punished for reporting harassment, discrimination or a safety problem is called retaliation, and EEOC and OSHA both take complaints about it.

Whether to report, and when, is your decision. Writing things down now keeps your options open either way. If you're not safe, leaving or not going back is a reasonable choice: your safety comes first, and you can ask an agency or a lawyer about time limits after you've left.

How can you look after yourself while this is happening?

Being harassed or threatened at work can leave you on edge long after the shift ends: replaying it, dreading the next one, not sleeping. That's a reasonable reaction to something wrong, not a sign you can't cope.

Support while you deal with it:

Someone to talk to now: the crisis line in the box below is for anyone in emotional distress, by call or text, not only in an emergency.
Sexual harassment or assault: RAINN's hotline, listed in the routes above.
A licensed therapist: through your health plan, or campus counseling if you're a student.
Your employer's assistance program: if there is one and you're comfortable using it.
When dread is there every day: when you're anxious about work every day.

What separates emotional support from clinical treatment is explained here.

What if it's a partner, or an ex you work with?

If it's a partner who decides whether you work or takes control of your pay, read relationship problem or controlling behavior?.

If the person is an ex you work with and they're threatening or harassing you, this page is the right one. If working alongside an ex is painful but not unsafe, read how to move on when you keep seeing your ex.

What if it's a hard job, but nobody is threatening or harassing you?

Then the guide to work stress is the better place to start. For a manager you find hard to work for, read dealing with a difficult boss; for a disagreement with a coworker, conflict with a coworker; for more work than hours, overwhelmed at work.

Still unsure what to do about harassment or threats at work?

How do I know if it's harassment or just a bad boss?

A page can't tell you whether something counts legally. EEOC's harassment page explains what it handles, and an employment lawyer can advise on your situation. You don't need to be sure before you write things down or ask for help.

Can I be punished for reporting harassment at work?

Being punished for reporting harassment, discrimination or a safety problem is called retaliation, and EEOC and OSHA both take complaints about it. Whether your situation is covered, and what you can do, is a question for those agencies or an employment lawyer.

Should I quit if I'm being harassed at work?

That's your decision, and if you're not safe, leaving is a reasonable one. If you can, take your personal notes with you, and check the agencies' time limits soon after, so leaving doesn't close an option you might want later.

What if the person harassing me is a customer?

Tell your manager in writing, ask not to be put back with that customer, and involve security if there is any. If a customer threatens or follows you, call 911. Keep notes the same way you would for a coworker.

I'm an intern or a contractor. Does any of this apply to me?

The steps do: get safe, write it down, tell someone you trust. Whether an agency can take your complaint depends on your situation, so ask them directly. If the internship is through your school, your internship coordinator or career center can help too.

What's a first step you can take before today ends?

Write down the most recent incident, with the date, somewhere that's yours. And if you're in danger, or thinking about ending your life, these are here now: