THis is ridiculous

[toomanycalls1]

At work today someone made a stupid joke actually misspoke said something stupid (admittedly something that shouldn't have been said).

So the other person involved ran to management and now the other person is suspended for 3 days for sexual harassment.

Yes it was a stupid comment. One comment made briefly in an obviously joking manner.

I am the supervisor that had to suspend the employee. I felt really stupid and bad but we had to do something to protect our butts. The head of HR also thinks it is stupid but after talking to the company lawyer we found out we had to do this because the person is claiming a hostile work environment.

This person doesn't even normally work with the "offender". It is an IT guy who was working on her computer and she made a dumb comment about going down when he got on the floor to hook things up.

What's sad is how much real sexual harassment goes unreported.

Even the company lawyer said it was the dumbest thing he ever heard but that's the law.

I also told the "offender" that she can't talk about it in the office but I'd back her if she explained her 3 day absence due to a personal situation.

Of course now I've heard the so called "Victim" is talking about it all over the place.

[Broomjockey]

If the "victim" is talking about it, "offender" might be able to get back at him for some hostile work environment/slander type offence herself. Especially if this guy isn't supremely careful with how he words it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Methinks somebody is too easily offended. Also humor-impaired.

Hopefully everybody else in the office is put on notice that this person will not hesitate to scream "harassment!" at anything mildly or less sexual , and seems to get off on having that power over people.

[toomanycalls1]

Thanks

Thanks for the response.

Karma is getting the "offended" person though. Because of the absence of this one person people need to be reshuffled a bit for the 3 days and he has to do his least favorite thing (cover reception) for 3 hours all 3 days!

[Seshat]

This sort of situation is why all the sexual harassment advice I've seen (or give) starts with 'tell the person to stop'.

Gah. I hate people who make accusations of sexual harassment look like nothing more than a way to victimise people.

[wagegoth]

Seems a bit over the top of a response. Sounds like your HR department should have consulted with legal or outside counsel on that.

[Andara Bledin]

Ugh.

I'm in the camp that believes that reasonable adults should be proactive and the first step should always be that the offended party informs the offending party of the offense and requests that it stop.

^-.-^

[myswtghst]

Had a conversation about this with a coworker last night, actually. He was talking about sexual harrassment and things getting out of hand/misconstrued and people over-reacting, and really like my answer when I told him that I'd never report sexual harrassment without first telling the "harrasser" that I didn't appreciate whatever behavior it was that was upsetting me.

[blas]

So the guy is the offender and the girl is the victim?

[Jester]

This reminds me of something that happened to my best friend Neets years ago.

Neets used to work with me in the hotel reservation call center, and actually worked there long after I left.

Well, one day, while on break with a male friend, but still in the building, she made some offhand sexual joking comment to him. He was amused and laughed.

HOWEVER, apparently all this was overheard by a female coworker who just happened to be the ex-girlfriend of the guy Neets was dating at the time. And she cried harrassment to management, and sure enough, Neets got written up and either suspended or fired--I can't remember which, as it was over ten years ago.

Did Neets explain the whole situation to her supervisors and HR? Yes.
Was it a rational and logical explanation? Yes.
Was it obvious that the girl in question was being a vindictive spiteful bitch? Yes.
Was the whole thing obviously and utterly ridiculous? Yes.

Did that change the outcome? Not one bit.

This is how scared corporations are of being painted with the "sexual harrassment" brush. They'll treat every situation the same, no matter how ridiculous it might be.

[sms001]

So the guy is the offender and the girl is the victim?

and she made a dumb comment about going down when he got on the floor to hook things up....I also told the "offender" that she can't talk about it in the office

Strange but true. Unless the PC etiquette is SO pervasive and ingrained in this company that the guy feels he HAS to report it to cover his own butt. Or he could just be a jerk. Or a weenie. Or he could honestly feel sexually harassed. Or he dislikes her for some previous reason and is using this as a way to get back at her.

[toomanycalls1]

Thanks for the input guys

Thanks for the input everyone.

The guy probably felt harassed but you should really tell the person to stop it it was a one time thing not go running to management.

I also think he's trying to set up a lawsuit.

I have also recommended the girl tell everyone today she was off due to a personal matter because saying she can't talk about it leads to more tongue wagging.

Nobody in their right mind would find one stupid joke harassment.

The two had never even met and will have very little contact from here on in.

Of course the guy was claiming we were punshing him by putting him at reception. No he was stuck there because the department the girl was in covers reception at busy times and they couldn't spare anyone and he can do his work at the reception desk and they can't.

[toomanycalls1]

What bothers me most of all

What bothers me most of all is when cases like these are called in it makes it harder on people who are victims of much worse prove their cases.

The girl in question was very nice about it. She understood the circumstances and what a difficuilt position we were put in.

I frankly thought it deserved a warning not a suspension. But the big bosses said suspension.