Comments on: Who won this case? She says boss didn’t do enough to stop harassment http://www.hrmorning.com/who-won-this-case-she-says-boss-didnt-do-enough-to-stop-harassment/ Your daily dose of HR Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:43:13 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Edna http://www.hrmorning.com/who-won-this-case-she-says-boss-didnt-do-enough-to-stop-harassment/comment-page-1/#comment-29322 Edna Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:32:14 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5313#comment-29322 Anonymous or not you need to investigate. Sometimes people are too shy or embarrassed to say anything but if they are asked about it by the right person in the right way they will open up about it. Tips are usually given for a reason and should never be ignored and you are just as guilty for ignoring the tip as you would be for ignoring the problem. Anonymous or not you need to investigate. Sometimes people are too shy or embarrassed to say anything but if they are asked about it by the right person in the right way they will open up about it. Tips are usually given for a reason and should never be ignored and you are just as guilty for ignoring the tip as you would be for ignoring the problem.

]]> By: Jean http://www.hrmorning.com/who-won-this-case-she-says-boss-didnt-do-enough-to-stop-harassment/comment-page-1/#comment-28879 Jean Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:14:56 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5313#comment-28879 What do you do when you receive an anonymous tip that something is going on? Do you ignore because it is anonymous? or do you investigate? What do you do when you receive an anonymous tip that something is going on? Do you ignore because it is anonymous? or do you investigate?

]]> By: Patrick http://www.hrmorning.com/who-won-this-case-she-says-boss-didnt-do-enough-to-stop-harassment/comment-page-1/#comment-28861 Patrick Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:16:41 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5313#comment-28861 In a recent case an employee was behaving crudely and making suggestive comments to the ladies. We only found out about it when a young lady was released due to her attendance and her lawyer letter arrived within a week. During the investigation several ladies validated the things that were said and the harassing behavior of the employee. I am not sure if it was peer pressure, fear of going against another employee or just stubbornness but several ladies said that they were big girls and have heard worse so it was no big deal. If it had progressed further then they would have complained. The employee was terminated, sexual harassment training was done for the entire facility and our “no tolerance” policy to harassment was clearly communicated. The case never went to court because we investigated once we were made aware and swiftly terminated the offending employee. It was just disappointing to hear that for several months ladies were subjected to his harassing behavior and they chose to not report his actions. This allowed him to subject even more victims to his crude comments because they realistically condoned his actions and allowed it to continue by not reporting it. In a recent case an employee was behaving crudely and making suggestive comments to the ladies. We only found out about it when a young lady was released due to her attendance and her lawyer letter arrived within a week. During the investigation several ladies validated the things that were said and the harassing behavior of the employee. I am not sure if it was peer pressure, fear of going against another employee or just stubbornness but several ladies said that they were big girls and have heard worse so it was no big deal. If it had progressed further then they would have complained. The employee was terminated, sexual harassment training was done for the entire facility and our “no tolerance” policy to harassment was clearly communicated. The case never went to court because we investigated once we were made aware and swiftly terminated the offending employee. It was just disappointing to hear that for several months ladies were subjected to his harassing behavior and they chose to not report his actions. This allowed him to subject even more victims to his crude comments because they realistically condoned his actions and allowed it to continue by not reporting it.

]]> By: Pat Fidler http://www.hrmorning.com/who-won-this-case-she-says-boss-didnt-do-enough-to-stop-harassment/comment-page-1/#comment-28580 Pat Fidler Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:01:56 +0000 http://www.hrmorning.com/?p=5313#comment-28580 I have had a similar problem where the employee insisted that no action be taken. We investigated enough to convince us there might be a problem. Then we called the harrassing employee in as a means of educating him on what was and what was not appropriate behavior stating that it was based on our observations and an attempt to prevent any potential problems. Then we reassigned that employee but watched him closely. It eliminated the situation and put enough pressure on the harrassing employee that he changed his actions in fear a receiving bad reviews. Harrassment happens no matter how hard management trys to prevent it, but management must act as a watchdog not just an investigator after it happens. We have found that once the employees realize that management is aware of their behavior, they try to police themselves to prevent management from getting involved. HRM I have had a similar problem where the employee insisted that no action be taken. We investigated enough to convince us there might be a problem. Then we called the harrassing employee in as a means of educating him on what was and what was not appropriate behavior stating that it was based on our observations and an attempt to prevent any potential problems. Then we reassigned that employee but watched him closely. It eliminated the situation and put enough pressure on the harrassing employee that he changed his actions in fear a receiving bad reviews. Harrassment happens no matter how hard management trys to prevent it, but management must act as a watchdog not just an investigator after it happens. We have found that once the employees realize that management is aware of their behavior, they try to police themselves to prevent management from getting involved.

HRM

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