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Im not fighting her battles. I didnt give her advice. I just told her that I didnt pay much attention to them. Like I have mentioned, she just randomly brought it up. I am not trying to be her champion or anything like that. Just wondering if she can turn around and say "hey this is sexual harassment"
She can. Anyone can. What is in question is whether she's right, and that's not really a question anyone here can answer definitively. It's between her and HR. I'd stay out of it.
well technically it is the company's business.. most have rules against this and they aren't being paid for flirting....
I'd have no problem with her reporting it. It is unprofessional, might not be harassment though, still can get people in trouble if they are overt about it in the workplace. HR definitely wouldn't like it. IF she took it up to HR, before supervisor, then it'll be a big issue. At least if she took to supervisor he can put an end to it and no one gets fired
I don't think it is sexual harassment. I do not think it is proper. I would report it. It does not belong in the workplace.
Speaking as a senior level manager (which I was), if I saw this going on in any office I was over, the two would be called in to my office and told the conduct was unprofessional and unacceptable in an office environment, and the behavior must stop.
Not a fan of adultery, but off work time is their business, not mine, but PDA in the office is unacceptable in a professional environment - regardless of whether it meets the legal threshold of sexual harrassment or hostile work environment.
The senior manager should address the issue before it has the potential to become a legal issue/problem for the company (and from the OP description, it's close now).
Last edited by Tuck's Dad; 12-15-2014 at 04:36 PM..
Who cares if it is labeled sexual harassment? Why does that matter? If it can be interpreted that way, fine - whatever HR wants to call it. Bottom line it is improper activity. If she wants to report it, it is on her to do so.
Completely inappropriate. And it doesn't matter that she's a temp, and the idea that because she's a temp she just has to take it is ludicrous. Even if she doesn't even work there, but comes in and sees this inappropriate behavior (like say janitorial staff, the copy machine vendor, etc.), she has every right to complain. Now, whether it's actionable would come down to those earlier statements about what makes a "reasonable" person uncomfortable.
It may not really be anything at all. Heck, some people can be offended by two people of the opposite sex even sitting close to each other. But, if it's truly annoying baby talk and out loud flirting - that's gross. Frankly, the fact others wear headphones to ignore the offenders tells me that these two need a little visit from HR. Heck, loud talkers and speaker phone abusers can get called in at some places I've worked. You just have to respect your co-workers and that includes not doing anything to annoy them - even if it's not directed right at them, or necessarily on purpose. Kinda part of being an adult!
Like others, I remember seeing this in a call center environment, and HR would constantly have to drag people in to their offices to remind people to stay away from each other while at work. Amazing how unprofessional some people can be at the office.
I tend to agree that many people are too sensitive these days, but I also see a lot of people that go way overboard and then scream "stop being so sensitive." No, stop being an idiot!
i hardly consider eavesdropping cause for sexual harassment claims ..if you pick up a phone and overhear a sexual comment you have not been violated .. tune it out ..
I was thinking the same thing. My thoughts were that she may just be feeling left out, or why can they do that and I can't? I know of a specific situation where this guy used to flirt with all the girls, may have been me, or not, or it could have been anyone in particular. (Ok so lets say that it may have been me.)
Anyway this random guy that used to be a flirt in his younger days and a few girls from this one department who may or may not still be friends today used to act in a way that could have been thought by some to be maybe less than appropriate. One girl that worked near these other girls didn't like it one bit. Finally she mentioned it to this "guy" and how she thought it may not be the most advantageous thing to do since i was married. She went on to say that it was sick because he was married. The guy that may not have been me, asked what she meant. With this guy that we were talking about everything was just talk, no kissing, no hooking up, just having fun at work. She thought the married guy, that may not have been me, was sleeping with one or more of these girls and when she found out that nothing like that was happening then she was OK with it. I, or I mean this guy asked her why that was. She claimed that she just had felt left out.
I am sure that the OP's situation is a real deal and they are probably doing more than just what the OP and the Temp see. None of our business but it can lead to others feeling left out. LOL
Sorry. She either needs to suck it up for a couple of weeks or ask to be reassigned to a different job. I mean, just how obnoxious is the flirting that she can't possibly get any work done? If she puts her head down and just concentrates on her work, she won't have the time or the inclination to judge her temporary co-workers quite so stringently.
It's not sexual harrassment. It's just two co-workers being annoying. She's the temp. She's disposable.
I have seen sexual harrassment take a whole swing both ways. I worked years ago for an aircraft company where the women had to walk by some offices. Some of the men would reach out and grab the butts of the women going by or just goose them.
One of the women reported it and was told that the men had higher positions so there was nothing she could do. She quit.
Fast forward to many years later and working for a claims department one girl brought in a picture of herself with a male stripper that someone had arranged for her at a party. She showed it to a couple of the girls at work and they all had a laugh. Everyone in the room was written up for sexual harrassment because the picture had been in the room. Even one person who was not even there that day.
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I was thinking the same thing. My thoughts were that she may just be feeling left out, or why can they do that and I can't? I know of a specific situation where this guy used to flirt with all the girls, may have been me, or not, or it could have been anyone in particular. (Ok so lets say that it may have been me.)
