Comments on: Leverage sexual harassment

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:07:39 +0000

I've read all of the comments here and have to say that yes, each woman has a choice to make when it comes to reporting sexual harassment in the workplace. Just as there are levels of harassment that exist, there are levels of what we can "put up with" in order to keep a good job. I, personally, was a whistle blower. I was not going to let my boss pull what he did to me on one more innocent victim, and my reasoning was to protect others from this man. In my case, my boss promoted me to be the head of a team in a prestigious, very male-dominated company. I had been working for this company for only 2 months at the time, but was an expert in my field. My boss asked me out to dinner that night to celebrate my promotion, to which I accepted. Next thing you know, I wake up in his room naked, at 5 am in the morning. I had been drugged (a drug had been put in my drink) and raped. It took me three weeks to figure out how to best report this man so that I would not be nay-sayed or fired for reporting. I managed to get to the head legal department of the company and tell my story, which was a harrowing experience for me. It did, however, result in my boss being fired. Unfortunately, I had to work with his friends as my seniors, which was extremely uncomfortable at times. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and of course it affected my career in the company I worked in–there were no more promotions. However, I stayed almost 4 years with the company, and then left to do postgraduate education. No one harassed me after that, and even though it was a hard choice to make, I am glad that I made it. There are a lot of sick men out there that try to take advantage of women and I don't believe we should put up with it. Deal with the small stuff personally, and for things like rape, blow the whistle–HARD!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:38:07 +0000

Well, we don't live in a perfect world, so while ethics are all well and good, they only work in this situation when all involved agree to act within their parameters. Since the other key players in my experience were unwilling to do the ethical thing, it made it impossible for me to deal with it in a manner which would have allowed me to keep my job with no backlash.

Furthermore, I think one's actions are largely determined by one's threshold for pain/embarrassment/the shame of being sexually harassed, not by whether they're right or wrong. Some people need to get out when that happens, and some people are able to capitalize on it and turn it into a positive thing. Still others (like Sydney above) act like they're putting up with it when in reality, their disgust becomes apparent through the fact that they find other jobs (your approval of which, Tina, I find interesting, since Penelope did NOT leave her company when she was sexually harassed, and yet you write in your comment to me as though hers is the only course of action that is laudable in such a situation). When push comes to shove, I'm really not going to judge anyone's decisions on how to deal with a situation like that in his or her own personal life. I just know the decisions I'm comfortable making for myself, and that is what I was saying. Until the whole world decides to submit to ethical behavior, some people will find their own ways around (or through) situations like this.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:26:05 +0000

I admire what you did very much.

I'm glad that the fellow was fired.

Probably the remaining fellow was necessarily involved in the decision to fire him.

You obviously walk your talk on this matter, so I think that I can understand your sense of antipathy at Penelope's approach.

It sounds like overall you're glad that you did what you did.

Each situation is different. It sounds like what you did was best for all parties concerned, INCLUDING the one fired.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:18:40 +0000

So Penelope's advise isn't really ethical, yet it's good advise just the same?

I see it very differently. In fact, I think her ethics under these circumstances as being among the highest.

I believe her advice is best for all parties concerned.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:14:31 +0000

Good for you! Your approach is so admirable, all the more so in light of your youth.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:13:18 +0000

I guess you must have violated your own value system in some way or you wouldn't feel guilty, but I can't say that I fully share it.

The law, in my view, was made for individuals, not vice versa.

Not to say that I don't care about the community, but I think that your own needs are much more important than that.

Yes, Penelope's post certainly is therapeutic, isn't it?

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:58:50 +0000

Yes, despite the injustice of her situation, Penelope's position was a relatively privileged one.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:55:59 +0000

Although I did stand up for my principles under adverse conditions, I have not been sexual harassed.

Thank you for sharing your story. The work world can be a terribly sad and unjust place.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:50:03 +0000

"The best response to an idiot is silence."

LOL!

Great one.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:48:46 +0000

"By behaving that way she probably made a few of them believe that their advances might get them somewhere eventually."

Based on the article that I read, quite the contrary.