For an employee who feels uncomfortable in the way she is being treated, the next step is to understand if the offender is a "equal opportunity jerk," writes Mirande Valbrune, an employment lawyer and an expert on employee relations who sits on Forbes Human Resources Council.
"Speak to colleagues to gauge whether this person has displayed off-putting, dismissive or excluding behaviors with men as well," Valbrune writes. "If so, then in employment law parlance, this type of individual is affectionately labeled 'the equal opportunity jerk' and may be subject to coaching of a different nature."
Employees who have not experienced gender bias should be willing to speak up in defense of those who may be. As a last recourse, there is always HR.
"Most companies want to make their workplace better and more inclusive for employees," Valbrune writes. "It is not only the right thing to do, but it is also best for preventing a claim, and for promoting employee retention and recognition."