Sexual Harassment


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Sexual Harassment

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Workplace Relationships: What Do We Do About a Married Employee Who May Be Romantically Involved with the Cleaning Woman?
June 2008
Many of our employees believe that their married co-worker--I'll call him "Bob"--is having a romantic relationship with a woman who cleans our offices. This woman works for a cleaning company we've hired to come in three times a week. I've received complaints about their public displays of affection (although I'm not sure about the details) and the fact that he takes out the trash for her, which allegedly interferes with his own job. People (particularly Bob's manager) are upset from a moral standpoint, but Bob isn't really breaking any rules, I don't think--he has nothing to do with the cleaning company we hired. What should I do? . . . more

You're the Expert: What Should We Do with Supervisors Who Are in Relationships with Subordinates?
March 2008
We have two supervisors who appear to be in relationships with subordinates. How do we approach them, and what should we say? . . . more

Harassment: What Is the Best Response When I Get a 'Hint' That Inappropriate Behavior Is Occurring in the Workplace?
March 2008
I've gotten hints and heard rumors through the grapevine about inappropriate activity going on in my company. In one case, a manager is allegedly "hitting on" a subordinate, and in another case, apparently employees are making fun of a co-worker on their project team because she is African-American. I don't have any evidence or corroboration, and no one has complained. Do I wait and observe, or should I act? How should I proceed? . . . more

You're the Expert: How Can I Stop the Tradition of Teasing and Pranks in Our Workplace?
December 2007
A recent question: Our workplace has a tradition of teasing and pranks. "All in good fun," say the workers, but I think there are harassment suits building up in some employees' minds as this continues. How can I get the message across to stop this behavior? Here's what you had to say . . . more

Sexual Harassment: Can Third Parties Sue for Harassment?
November 2007
We've got two situations in which third parties are complaining about sexual harassment. In one case, an office couple is "carrying on" in front of another employee who is complaining about a "hostile environment." In the other case . . . more

You're the Expert: A Recent Question
November 2007
That radio character, Don Imus, who got fired for his inappropriate comments? I think I've got a few Imuses in my company. How do I get the "good ol' boys" to toe the line and stop with their insensitive jokes and actions . . . more

Download: Workplace Investigations in California: Responding to Employee Complaints and Addressing Misconduct

Workplace investigations into various issues, from safety violations to sexual harassment, are one of the most important tasks that HR conducts, yet they are often mishandled--with disastrous consequences. To help employers better manage the challenging role of conducting investigations, we have prepared this Special Report . . . more

Bulletin: California sexual harassment regs finally approved
August 2007
On July 18, after much delay and many revisions, the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved regulations relating to A.B. 1825, California's mandatory sexual harassment training law. The regulations . . . more

Harassment Training: What Are the New Rules for Harassment Training?
February 2007
I understand that there has been a clarification of the rules for sexual harassment training for supervisors. What's new on tha . . . more

Short Takes: Sexual Harassment Training
December 2006
We're a small office--14 employees. How often do we have to do sexual harassment training? . . . more

You're the Expert: How can we help our employees confront co-workers whose actions make them uncomfortable?
November 2006
Last month's question was: Many of our employees are not confronting coworkers whose actions make them uncomfortable. How can we help them to take this all-important step in preventing harassment? Here's what you had to say . . . more

Harassment: What Does the Recent "Spanking" Lawsuit Teach Us About Where Fun Ends and Harassment Begins?
August 2006
The recent "spanking" lawsuit—where the "all-in-good-fun" spanking ended up with an expensive lawsuit—has got us thinking . . . more

Short Takes: Harassment Training for Temps
December 2005
I have a question about sexual harassment training. We have 35 full-time regular employees and usually about 40 or 50 temporari . . . more

Sexual Harassment: What's the Best Way to Handle a Sexual Harassment Investigation?
November 2005
In our various operations, we've been dealing with several sexual harassment complaints. We have three questions:/p . . . more

Sexual Harassment: What to Do About Clients Who Harass Your Employees?
October 2005
I work in a psychiatric hospital. We have been having a problem lately with patients sexually harassing our staff. Some of the client . . . more

Privacy: Can We Control or Ban Personal Items Displayed at Employee Workstations?
February 2008
We've never had any rules about decorating personal workspaces and never had any problems. But recently, some issues have come up and I think we need a policy. For example, an employee reported that a valuable item was stolen from her desk while she was at a meeting. Another employee complained about a swimsuit calendar and suggestive cartoons posted in a co-worker's cubicle. How do we set a policy that clarifies what employees may and may not do, or do you recommend just banning sexually suggestive personal items altogether? Are there any employee privacy issues we need to worry about? . . . more

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