I can’t find the link, but I was reading an interesting op ed piece on the recent Cain sexual embarrassment stories. There was a line in the piece that resonated with me and my personal perception of the corporate world. Parenthetically, the piece was written by a NY defense lawyer, who apparently specializes in corporate litigation (and presumably sexual harassment suits/claims).
The writer said to the effect that the current sexual harassment landscape has rendered the workplace an environment where you cannot make a joke or offer an otherwise innocent compliment. The “life” so to speak, has been sucked out of the workplace. The writer did not expressly lay the blame at the feet of women, but where does it belong? Women, the Courts that have interpreted this area of law or, the HR Departments that bend over backwards to create an environment where no one can be offended?
There is sexual harassment (quid pro quo) for instance, and legitimate harassment is wrong and cannot be tolerated obviously; but damnit if we didn’t start down this slippery slope of trying to guarantee anyone in the workplace that they have a right not to ever be offended. And that idea - that you have some right against being offended, has leaked into the public arena as well.
what the sexual harassment law suits have done to business is just sad.
for example, I have a female employee who has lost a lot of weight. Like around 80 to 100 pounds. She has really worked hard in the gym and in disciplining her life as a whole. But due to all this sexual litigation crap I cant even risk congratulating her on her progress. It has created this real awkwardness.
I understand that a while back, it could get pretty bad in the work place. I have read enough case studies to know that without a doubt. But at the same time, shouldn’t I be able to say, “hey your hard-work has really paid off, you look great” without the fear of her suing me?
[quote]koffea wrote:
what the sexual harassment law suits have done to business is just sad.
for example, I have a female employee who has lost a lot of weight. Like around 80 to 100 pounds. She has really worked hard in the gym and in disciplining her life as a whole. But due to all this sexual litigation crap I cant even risk congratulating her on her progress. It has created this real awkwardness.
I understand that a while back, it could get pretty bad in the work place. I have read enough case studies to know that without a doubt. But at the same time, shouldn’t I be able to say, “hey your hard-work has really paid off, you look great” without the fear of her suing me?[/quote]
Pretend co-workers have no bodies, voices, mannerisms or social identifications/relationships and you’ll never have a problem. As long as you properly treat them as interfaces convenient for inputting work data into, or receiving work data from, you’ll be just fine. Besides, if you’ve got time to compliment the superficial exterior of a female-bodied person, you have time to take up a work-related task. Or, at least think up a new one.
[quote]koffea wrote:
what the sexual harassment law suits have done to business is just sad.
for example, I have a female employee who has lost a lot of weight. Like around 80 to 100 pounds. She has really worked hard in the gym and in disciplining her life as a whole. But due to all this sexual litigation crap I cant even risk congratulating her on her progress. It has created this real awkwardness.
I understand that a while back, it could get pretty bad in the work place. I have read enough case studies to know that without a doubt. But at the same time, shouldn’t I be able to say, “hey your hard-work has really paid off, you look great” without the fear of her suing me?[/quote]
Pretend co-workers have no bodies, voices, mannerisms or social identifications/relationships and you’ll never have a problem. As long as you properly treat them as interfaces convenient for inputting work data into, or receiving work data from, you’ll be just fine. Besides, if you’ve got time to compliment the superficial exterior of a female-bodied person, you have time to take up a work-related task. Or, at least think up a new one.
Glad I could help.[/quote]
“As long as you don’t treat the people you work with like they’re human, you’re safe.”
What a pathetic world we live in.
It’s a mixture of the courts and HR Departments, who come up with stupid shit just to justify their own existence.
At my old job, “HR Department” meant "go outside and ‘figure it out.’
[quote]koffea wrote:
what the sexual harassment law suits have done to business is just sad.
for example, I have a female employee who has lost a lot of weight. Like around 80 to 100 pounds. She has really worked hard in the gym and in disciplining her life as a whole. But due to all this sexual litigation crap I cant even risk congratulating her on her progress. It has created this real awkwardness.
I understand that a while back, it could get pretty bad in the work place. I have read enough case studies to know that without a doubt. But at the same time, shouldn’t I be able to say, “hey your hard-work has really paid off, you look great” without the fear of her suing me?[/quote]
Pretend co-workers have no bodies, voices, mannerisms or social identifications/relationships and you’ll never have a problem. As long as you properly treat them as interfaces convenient for inputting work data into, or receiving work data from, you’ll be just fine. Besides, if you’ve got time to compliment the superficial exterior of a female-bodied person, you have time to take up a work-related task. Or, at least think up a new one.
Glad I could help.[/quote]
Well, tongue in cheek you have just described the desired corporate environment from the perspective of HR. And guess what? That described environment SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF THE JOB.
But let’s be honest; and this is not a “woman bashing” comment - but the problems center around females. Allowing for honest to goodness sexual harassment, the rest is just fucking bullshit. So, is it REALLY the courts and HR Departments and the women exploiting it? Or are women in the workplace really a social problem?
If you want equality, you have to listen to the same dirty joke I just heard and you don’t run off to HR.
[quote]koffea wrote:
what the sexual harassment law suits have done to business is just sad.
for example, I have a female employee who has lost a lot of weight. Like around 80 to 100 pounds. She has really worked hard in the gym and in disciplining her life as a whole. But due to all this sexual litigation crap I cant even risk congratulating her on her progress. It has created this real awkwardness.
I understand that a while back, it could get pretty bad in the work place. I have read enough case studies to know that without a doubt. But at the same time, shouldn’t I be able to say, “hey your hard-work has really paid off, you look great” without the fear of her suing me?[/quote]
Pretend co-workers have no bodies, voices, mannerisms or social identifications/relationships and you’ll never have a problem. As long as you properly treat them as interfaces convenient for inputting work data into, or receiving work data from, you’ll be just fine. Besides, if you’ve got time to compliment the superficial exterior of a female-bodied person, you have time to take up a work-related task. Or, at least think up a new one.
Glad I could help.[/quote]
Well, tongue in cheek you have just described the desired corporate environment from the perspective of HR. And guess what? That described environment SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF THE JOB.
[/quote]
that it does. i don’t think it is women in general, just a few bad apples that have looked for a quick buck. the side effect is the death of camaraderie, an essential element needed to develop a really good team.
[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
But let’s be honest; and this is not a “woman bashing” comment - but the problems center around females. Allowing for honest to goodness sexual harassment, the rest is just fucking bullshit. So, is it REALLY the courts and HR Departments and the women exploiting it? Or are women in the workplace really a social problem?
If you want equality, you have to listen to the same dirty joke I just heard and you don’t run off to HR.
Right?[/quote]
There’s plenty of guys who are tools that would run directly to HR as well.
[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
But let’s be honest; and this is not a “woman bashing” comment - but the problems center around females. Allowing for honest to goodness sexual harassment, the rest is just fucking bullshit. So, is it REALLY the courts and HR Departments and the women exploiting it? Or are women in the workplace really a social problem?
If you want equality, you have to listen to the same dirty joke I just heard and you don’t run off to HR.
Right?[/quote]
There’s plenty of guys who are tools that would run directly to HR as well.
It seems in my profession, an inordinate amount. [/quote]
I get complaints from both sexes equally.
And for the record most of the fucked up policies that I have to enforce do not come from the VP of Human Resources (my boss) they come from corporate council (black belt in CYA).
[quote]BlueCollarTr8n wrote:
Sexual Harassment = Ugly guy trying to get laid [/quote]
or
Sexual Harassment= Ugly women thinking every guy wants to fuck them.[/quote]
Once got chewed out because a woman was walking on the stairs the flight above me and she said I was looking up her dress. Sorry bitch, I was watching where my feet were going on the stairs.
Most women are cunts, plain and simple. A few are good but most are just mindless whore bitches.
Women who abuse the system certainly have added unnecessary drama. But then men who abused women through coercion are probably the egg who hatched the chicken so to speak.
But yes, women who make a non-issue in to something major ruin the workplace.