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Atmosphere Like a Popular Sitcom But Case Dismissed by Court

degrees of harassment

govt employee
dod
Thu Nov 8, 2007 1:26 PM

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Typical. We have always been told that harassment was your perception of the events, remarks, etc., not someone else's. And if you're uncomfortable, feel threatened and worried about retaliation, you tend to let it slide, until you can't let it go anymore, one of the reasons rapes aren't reported. The govt always uses the zero tolerance policy against workers, but seldom against supervisors

Hmmm

USRO
Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Thu Nov 8, 2007 1:52 PM

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I am a pretty complex dude, so let me play the devils advocate on this one, as I have three daughters. The agency may have reminded its employees from time to time, but did they actively enforce it? In saying they reminded their employees from time to time is rather a tame statement to me.Did the agency have a pro active policy in carrying out the law?.These are times where jobs are scarce and I might understand the women's hesitation in reporting such if the agency had a record of fluffing things off in a cavalier manner. I believe I actually disagree with the decision but I can tell you on the side though,that any jerk who talked to my daughters like described in the article,that jerk would not have to be worrying about any court decisions.The issues are not just black and white, but many are in that gray area.The gray areas are in agencies that do not take policies serious enough and history has proven that Anita Hill was not far of the mark when it came to Thomas and his opinions.

Sour grapes again

Manager
Labor
Fri Nov 9, 2007 7:40 AM

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What a blowhard...kick somebody's butt because they called your daughter "cutie"? Get real. This so called case is no case whatsoever. Unfortunately, cases like this detract from the real harrassment cases.

Labor Manager

Nameless, Faceless Nobody
DOD
Fri Nov 9, 2007 10:07 AM

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Sweetie, cutie, telling someone how sexually desireable (implying that the hearer should also find him so,) all that stuff is just out of line. It is more so if done by a supervisory level or above person. The problem was that she didn't report it within time frames, ok. If the organization took care of the matter for real, ok. I just wonder what was happening for her to try and revive the old case instead of a new one.

Manager, if you can fluff off the "little" stuff are you also missing the bigger stuff and making your office more hostile than it must be?

These issues are complex but if you cannot figure out that even "cutie" can be offensively used in a workplace, then get thee out of management!

Re: Labor Manager

USRO
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:32 AM
I put in my few cents after the crude one called me a blowhard, but guess it was to offensive to print, which it was not, but its creepy, slimy, men such as the manager that should be terminated from federal employment. They are the tumors of the management ranks that should be cut out and thrown away in the pornographic world he inhabits, and if he does have female employees, I am sure they are under duress. I am disappointed that Fed Smith could not print my response, as the so called labor manager just showed a small part of his make up. It is also sad that more people did not respond to this article, and that may be indicative on how the federal sector feels about sexual harassment. I also must be truthful as I hear it every morning as the house keepers critique the women as they come into work, and the women do not respond as you would expect. It is baffling to me, but it is a culture difference that I do not understand at all, and I have attended countless diversity classes.

Atmosphere Like a Popular Sitcom But Case Dismisse

RETIRED EEO MANAGER
DOD
Sun Nov 11, 2007 2:17 PM

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It would be my guess that the reason the case is in court is that the complainant failed in the administrative process of the complaint. I would be curious as to the ruling of the EEOC on this case as to Timeliness (perhaps a continued violation if more comments came from her team leader) and on the issue of threshold compliance with the broad definition of sexual harassment. In cases like these the agency has the obligation of establishing the defense of engaging in polices and practices of keeping their employees informed of the federal policies on sexual harassment as stated in the artice. Guess they really had good reliable documentation of providing same. What was the complainants trigger for making her first contact with a counselor after the 45 day period? Was it connected to any personnel action that effected her???/

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