Absolute morons!

[Edwina's Secretary]

How do you know they didn't do anything during the two weeks since you called?

Furthermore.... waiting two weeks was wrong so you wanted them to wait a few more days?????

[Laura's Babies]

I think the smart thing for the company to have done after talking to you on the phone was to have transferred him to another store until they had time to talk to everyone at your store and see if he repeted this behavior someplace else. All they needed was someone else to confirm that he does do that and it sounds like you have a pile of people to back you up. THEN, they could say to him that they have recieved numberous complaints from the employees without having to give anyones name to anyone... same with the investigator... All they have to have said was that "We have recieved a complaint and need to know if he has said or done anything like this with you".. Like my Human Resource person did when he called me. To keep it confidential, they could have called them and did it over the phone, LIKE my HR did with ME! My HR officer even asked me if I knew anyone else he had done this too or anyone else who had worked with him. It WAS handled confidentially, I do not have any idea who filed the orginal complaint or who else they talked to before they fired him.

Of coarse the idiot will deny he did these things but all they have to do is tell him they have X number of women who are READY and willing to go to court and testify should it get that far. That engineer left our company with his tail ducked between his legs and I would love to know how he explained it to his wife!

[Edwina's Secretary]

Transferring him to another store to see if it happened there too? That increases the company's exposure IF he is a sexual harasser. Not a good idea.

In-person interviews are far better than over the phone but again....Catnapper does not know with whom they have or haven't spoken since she called. Or who may have called before she did.

I have looked people in the beady eyes and fired them for HORRIBLE behavior. I have learned expression that I would have been happier not knowing.

But the accused has a right to know the accusation and the accusers at some point in the process. As Catnapper knows from personal experience with her husband, sometimes these accusations can be wrong or get out of hand.

I saw a man get a written reprimand for flipping the hair of a woman he had worked with for 20 years. SHE did not complain. A fellow worker (male) complained to get the boss in trouble. The woman told the investigator the boss was more like a brother to her than her own and she had no complaint. Nonetheless the manager had to be written up.

I could tell you the story of a man who committed suicide during an investigation of sexual harassment. There were three guys accused. The woman (as one of the judges said) was a willing participant and at times an instigator of what went on. Nonetheless, when she said stop....it didn't. But of the three, he was, in my opinion, the least guilty. I, too often imagine going home and telling the family. But imagine if it isn't really true? And there are already problems, etc.

There are three sides to every story....his, hers and the truth. I object to someone being called an absolute moron because he/she did his/her job. Investigating a complaint of sexual harassment. And it is a difficult and unpleasant job.

I am often in the position of the absolute moron. I cannot share information with employees without violating confidence or good practices. I still have to do the job I am paid to do and do it correctly. Does that make me STUPID, STUPID, STUPID?

I am saying that when the manager left the meeting and talked with other employees (it has not been said that he stated "Catnapper told me") he was not being STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. He was doing his job....correctly.

She may have felt uncomfortable but that does NOT make the investigator an absolute moron.

[catnapper]

As a matter of fact, I spoke to the one manager this afternoon, the one who gave me the higher-up guy's number. She knows all about my complaint and urged me to file the complaint in the first place. Anyway, she spoke to the higher-up on Friday and he told her that he had not done ANYTHING because he claimed I was not returning his phone calls --- that's utter bull! I answered every call and question he gave me!

I don't know what to think anymore. I'll just see how everything plays out from here on out. I will try to be patient and understand that there are proper protocals to take. Problem is, this is NOT playing out like they said it would in the training videos that we all sat through. In the videos they had a whole different story as to how things would happen. Why tell people one thing and do another? Perhaps because the reality would scare everyone away from coming forward. As it is, nobody wants to come forward in my store. They are all too scared that he'll make their lives pure heck for snitching on him.

Anyway, I truly do appreciate the point of view ES and cataholic have given me. It has helped me a lot.

[Rachel]

I'm kind of curious if you had ever indicated directly to the perpetrator that you considered his comments to be out of line and inappropriate in a work setting, and that his comments make you and others extremely uncomfortable. This can be done in a calm and professional manner. Yes, we all want to *get along* with the boss, but this is one of those situations where immediately showing where we stand on certain actions may avoid the continuation of same. These guys know that they are treading on dangerous territory, but if no one calls them on it....they think that they can get away with it.