06.28.09
Posted in Examples of Sexual Harassment at 4:19 pm by normarae2008
HR World just published a list of history making sexual harassment cases which are quite interesting to review. The list includes President Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky; Bill Clinton and Paula Jones; Kobe Bryant and a Colorado teenager; Anita Hill versus Clarence Thomas, and several other landmark as well as somewhat creepy cases.
Each case includes a brief description of the matter including the allegations and their final disposition. The review covers many years of sexual harassment case law and interpretation of sexual harassment behavior, and demonstrates the impact harassment has had on our social and corporate behaviors.
Reviewing these cases is a good source of education, and helps us remember past mistakes in an effort to prevent further harassment in the future.
I encourage our readers to visit www.hrworld.com and enter “top sexual harassment cases” in the search feature.
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06.16.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:22 pm by normarae2008
There’s been a lot of activity and proposed legislation in numerous states, California included, about new bullying laws. So what exactly is bullying and how does it affect both employees and employers in 2009?
Bullying is the repeated use of aggressive or unreasonable behavior against employees. It can come in the form of verbal, physical or even psychological formats. Several states are seeking new legislation to fight this form of harassment, and some have made significant progress. I reported on Massachusetts recently on my website, and the work they’ve been doing. California has a number of efforts underway as well. As I reported last Month following my article on Massachusetts, this type of abuse is four times more prevalent than sexual harassment alone.
This is clearly a growing problem for a violation of people’s rights that aren’t protected by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The Massachusetts targets workplace harassment, bullying, and mobbing without regard to protected class status.
In my efforts to promote education and awareness of workplace harassment, I met a documentary producer out of New York, a hardworking, creative and dedicated woman named Beverly Peterson. She works with a group called No Job Is Worth This. I’ve promoted her videos dealing with workplace bullying on my website, and I’ll reference her website below. I welcome your comments or help introducing other related groups you’d like us to contact and promote in this site. I’m very interested in sharing information for a worthy cause, and to improve the workplace experience for everyone.
Please visit www.nojobisworththis.com and view all of Ms. Peterson’s documentaries on bullying and workplace harassment. After you’ve viewed her documentaries, I welcome an exchange of opinions and dialogue on this important subject, so please write to me to express your views.
Please write to me at this address or my private email at normarae2008@gmail.com to give me your ideas, insights, or other topics you’d like us to consider.
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06.03.09
Posted in Examples of Sexual Harassment at 8:21 pm by normarae2008
I began this blog last December, and since then we’ve received over 5,000 visitors. I’ve also received private e-mails that I’ve responded to with (hopefully) helpful advice and coaching for women who have been victims of alleged sexual harassment. Here are some highlights of their stories. I’ve protected their anonymity at their request so I will summarize their experiences and will not use their real names:
“Susie” worked in a hospital and was being touched inappropriately by a male co-worker. She shared her entire story with us and wanted help with approaching her Human Resources department so that she could manage her complaint on her own. We provided information, coaching, and help with her preparation for that HR meeting.
“Sandy” works in a cocktail restaurant/bar and was subject to frequent fondling and sexual demands by her superior. He also held her job over her head unless she returned sexual favors to him. We provided comparative analysis of her situation against a hostile work environment and quid pro quo harassment as identified in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. We discussed her options to file a complaint with restaurant management or other options.
“Sally” was complaining about being docked in pay, and was quite upset about it. She was concerned about being told to “calm down,” and was wondering if such a reference was harassment. After we explored her situation further, we assured her that it probably wasn’t a case of harassment, but that the wage mistakes needed to be corrected in a timely basis and she should consult with her union representative and/or the labor board if the situation persisted. As it turned out, the wage issue was an error and was supposed to be corrected.
“Two teenagers” wrote to me about problems being stalked by older men. In one case, a considerably older man was doing lewd and sexual acts over the internet, and in the second case, and older man was doing lewd acts over his cell phone. In both cases I encouraged the young women to stop all conversation with the men, and report the incidents to their parents even though it would be a hard thing to do. I also told them to contact the police and file complaints about the men’s behavior. I was assured that both of these women were going to follow this advice.
I’ve met other women in the past six months, but these cases represent the kinds of issues that I’ve received. If you have a question, or problem, no matter how large or small, please contact me at normarae2008@gmail or at this blog site. My goal is to help as many women as I can as we sort out the questions and challenges of sexual harassment.
Thanks for reading and writing – Normarae
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