sexual harassment

[sassiersara]

hi everyone and hope you call give me some advice.

 

 

i work in the catering industry and had a new manager appointed approx 9 month ago.

 

to cut along story short he first started out being very touchy feely with the staff then it progressed to undoing of womens bras. biting staff members necks ,massaging shoulders ,kissing on the lips.sticking his tongue in a 60 year old womans ear, pushing us up againts tables and dry humping etc, as you can imagine this is pretty gross.

 

my self and many others are single parents and value our jobs. this man was reported to hr in writing last week so now im pretty scared that i might loose my job because this man is very good at talking the talk.

 

my self and another staff member went to his office last week to tell him to stop what he was doing because we found it offensive, he then said that he has been a manager for 18 years and has treated us the same as he has treated all the other staff he has worked with.and couldnt see that he was doing anything wrong,

after the chat we had with him he was really nasty to us all and wouldnt even talk to any of us,we did say in the meeting that we didnt feel any malace towards him but just wanted all the touching to stop.

he made a point of walking past me with his hands up in the air as if to say look im not touching you,which as you can imagine has made working with him very uncomfortable.

 

i know that this matter will be investigated but im so scared about doing this, what if they dont believe us? what if they try to get rid of me?and the other people who speak up

[JonCris]

Lets be clear his conduct is not just sexual harassment at work what you describe is a series of very serious highly criminal sexual assaults for which he could be imprisoned.

 

I suggest you try & get as many co-workers as possible who will support you accusations also do you have a union??

[sassiersara]

i would say 6 of us have been targeted. i have witnessed things being done to others and they have witnessed things being done to me. i know myself and 1 other will speak up but i hav not asked anyone else to because i dont wasnt to fell they have been forced into it,

unfortunatly we dont have a union

[sassiersara]

just another point the other woman who has reported this is off sick recarding this matter, she is stressed and its making her ill. she said that she wont go back to work because she is so scared

[chasin sunsets]

Hi, Sorry to hear of your treatment. I work within the engineering sector in education. My best mate at work is a female engineer, we have a laugh and a joke and go for lunch together. This sets tongues wagging in the staff room and we really do play on it. There has never been physical contat between us and never will, I speak to her on the phone out of office hours, my fiance is present and nothing will ever happen between us as we are mates. I would suggest you take action against your manager as he is clearly breaking many rules and law!

 

If you and your colleagues can collaborate statements then I thinks the manager's days are numbered..take this seriously and take it to the highest authority possible..

[JonCris]

You have choice either report the perv to the bosses who may resent your claims even though as this guy is so prolific they must know what he's doing or better still all of you go directly to the police & complain. Believe me they WILL see the conduct you describe as criminal.

 

Whatever you choose to do it would appear that all of you have the grounds to take your employer to an ET where the damages for sexual harassment are now unlimited

[sassiersara]

hi everyone and thanks for your advice

i have just had a phone call from the girl who reported our boss, she says that hr have organised a meeting on monday with her and our area manager,im a bit concerned for her because she isnt really sure what the meeting entails, i have told her to be strong and tell the truth and dont let them make light of the situation because i dont trust our company or the managers, i wish i could go with her but as im involved i guess i would not be allowed.

[JonCris]

She can insist on having a colleague with her which I strongly advise particularly as she is under stress.

 

Don't forget with the best will in the world they must have known for some time what this perv was like so they almost certainly have a position to protect.

 

Also bearing in mind what you describe & the length of time he admits he's been at it I find it hard to believe there haven't been other complaints previously

Edited July 27, 2008 by JonCris

[cal37]

First I like to say how sorry I am that you have had to deal with this sort of thing. I can only agree with jonCris advice but I feel you should report this to the police. People like this should be stopped and dealt with.

He might loose this job over this but what happens in his next job?

If your employers are responsible, I’m sure they will support you and might even advise you to report the matter.

[sassiersara]

the thing that puzzles me i that he is still there,surely he should be suspended if an aligation this serious has been made against him. i know at the moment its just a verbal complaint,the letter of complaint should get there mon morning,

[butterfly123]

What he has done is so wrong and should not be allowed to get away with it. You have a duty to yourself and to others that this will likely happen to if you do not proceed.

 

"A butterfly flapping its wings in africa can cause an eartquake in china"

 

Take care and good luck

 

Let us know how it goes

[morteee]

I am amazed there are still dinosaurs out there who seem to think this kind of behaviour is acceptable!

 

Keep strong and take it as high as possible! and if someone had dry humped themselves against me at work I would have called the Police as thats sexual assault!

[poppynurse]

I would suggest all of you that have been affected by this issue a collective grievance asap.

 

I would also complain to the police.

 

This man is a disgrace and must be stopped.

[sassiersara]

hiya everone who has written on here rearding my prob, thanks again and to be honest im bricking it, tomorrow is D day so to speak and i dont think im going to get much sleep, im on holiday now so im expecting a phone call tomorrow asking me to go in and make a statement,. i just wish it was all over and hope peolpe who have been subjected to the bosses mauling speak up.,

i know that he is twisting it and trying to make out he is the victim, he told the assistant manager that after myself and other worker told him to stop his touching he went home and had to have a shower because he felt like he had been raped WTF!!!!!

he should try being bitten and thrown against a table having somone dry hump him.,

thats why im worried becuse he is playing the victim and wants everyone to feel sorry for him

[letshelp]

This sorry excuse for a man is a disgrace, you and your co workers should report him to the police asap

[elche]

I agree the behaviour sounds completely inappropriate in the work place.

 

If you do have a meeting with HR, remain calm, take notes of whay was said and ask HR to sign them at the end of the meeting. Ask for a work colleague to accompany you - ensure this request is recorded in any official minutes.

 

Get statements from the women concerned, ensure they have a statement of truth at the end.

 

Then as you want to keep the job, one of you take all the statments to a local solicitor who deals in claimant employment work so he can advise re next move.

 

Always tread carefully when you want to keep your job, don't allege anything that you cannot support at this stage, stay calm.

 

Tell all affected workers to begin to keep a diary of events written as soon as possible after the incident. These can make great evidence.

 

Keep us posted

 

[poppynurse]

Bullies oftem play the victim when caught out. Stand up to this geek. Be strong and keep coming back here for support. You are doing the right hing.

[JonCris]

Also if you can find out who employed him before he came to your firm & try to contact any of their employees because its almost certain he hasn't just started behaving this way, in fact he admits it's been his constant behaviour for 18 years so you never know what you might dig up against the bum

[sassiersara]

hi everyone

just a quick update and boy am i bloody mad,

the perv is still at work ,how come they have not suspended him, my work mate has given her statement as have many others., i have not been called yet because im on holiday,

i thought if a serious complaint had me made against somone then they should be suspended until they decide, is that right?

[elche]

Firstly, whilst I would never defend behaviour like this, using words like ‘perv’ does not help anyone. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Many years working in the law have told me that there are always two sides to every story.

 

As for talk of involving the Police, if you believe you have evidence that would support criminal charges make a complaint. It will then be for the CPS to decide if there is sufficient evidence to prosecute.

 

Emotive language will not help anyone resolve this; keeping calm and considering your next moves will.

 

A person can be suspended from work on full pay whilst an investigation is carried out indeed ACAS advise:

 

In cases which appear to involve serious misconduct, and there is reason to separate the parties, a short period of suspension of the alleged bully/ harasser may need to be considered while the case is being investigated.

 

Check you company handbook for a policy on dealing with issues such as this, as you may have a contractual policy which exceeds and/or reflects the ACAS advice.

 

When you say your workmate has given a statement do you mean that she has in reality attended a minuted meeting? If so this is very different to preparing a statement, with requisite statement of truth, which can be used as evidence in a Tribunal or Court.

 

As a group you should prepare statements. You have absolutely no idea what HR are motivated by and I can assure you it may well be a very different agenda to you.

 

You must take independent legal advice as a group – that’s why prepping the statements will really help as a solicitor can look at these and ascertain your relative chances of success.

[sassiersara]

elche i take it you have never been sexualy assulted at work. he is a perv. i was picked up and placed on a tabe and dry humped . HE IS BLOODY GUILTY. i have had my neck bitten by this creature so dont tell me that there are two sides to every story, this has deeply effected myself and others, one girl is off sick with stress, what he has done is disgraceful and it seems to me that you have no idea what your talking about.

 

people are scared making a statement when they still have to work with this man, he is manipulative and is making out he is the wounded party, i am a single parent and rely on my job to support my son as do many others who i work with.

 

how can you make a statement then have to work by his side,and still have close contact with him??? answer me that. PEOPLE ARE TO SCARED TO SPEAK UP.

[poppynurse]

This is appalling.

 

Can a couple of you request a meeting with a senior manager? Go together and express your concerns.

 

Can you get viewable evidence of his behaviour? Mobile phone camera/video?

 

If you don't act he will continue this behaviour and your company need the evidence to use against him. Someone needs to be strong and take the lead with this. Can you meet up with coworkers out of work and write a collective grievance and all sign it? Then the company cannot single out one person as a 'troublemaker'.

If you want this to stop - and you clearly and quite rightly do - then you need to take a stand.

[elche]

 

how can you make a statement then have to work by his side,and still have close contact with him??? answer me that. PEOPLE ARE TO SCARED TO SPEAK UP.

 

You meet with other affected workers and make a statement outside of work. No-one outside the group who makes the statements i.e. people at work needs to know that you have done this.

 

Then you take the statements to a local solicitor and seek legal advice.

 

As for the incident you describe, this is completely unacceptable behaviour.

 

And yes you are right, I have never been sexually assaulted at work, and did not want to appear insensitive in respect of what your allege.

 

Please understand I was merely pointing out that your allegation it is just that - an allegation at this stage - This doesn't mean I think your lying!

 

If it happenend as you say including the biting you should contact the Police as this would constitute a criminal offence.

 

Good luck

Edited July 29, 2008 by elche286
semantics

[JonCris]

The whole event as described by the OP is a criminal offense (sexual assault) not just the biting

[chasin sunsets]

Take him to the cleaners...(and the company)..