Anyone ever had to take sexual harassment training at work?

[Carson Dyle]

Doesn't the term "sexual harassment" usually mean that someone is pursuing another person inappropriately? Unwanted attention from a coworker, or someone using their higher position to pressure someone?

Seems to me that telling a i love you joke at lunch, or cornering someone to tell them they're going to hell for having sex with goats is something else.

What if someone tells a joke that begins .. "A priest, a preacher and a rabbi walk into a bar"? Is that religious harassment?

 

[Ns1]

Doesn't the term "sexual harassment" usually mean that someone is pursuing another person inappropriately? Unwanted attention from a coworker, or someone using their higher position to pressure someone?

Seems to me that telling a i love you joke at lunch, or cornering someone to tell them they're going to hell for having sex with goats is something else.

so...you're the guy that left the "Licksalotofpuss" post-it.

 

[Carson Dyle]

so...you're the guy that left the "Licksalotofpuss" post-it.

That's harassment. Had someone told the joke while we were at lunch, I'm not sure it would be. But again, is it _sexual_ harassment?

 

[Ns1]

That's harassment. Had someone told the joke while we were at lunch, I'm not sure it would be. But again, is it _sexual_ harassment?

I think the more appropriate verbiage here is creating a hostile workplace which somehow falls under the sexual harassment umbrella. I also don't think it's normally a single 1-off example that creates a hostile workplace, but multiple repeated attempts.

so 1 offensive joke = warning to the department, multiple repeated jokes after the warning = creating a hostile workplace.

In the context of the OP, I can see how repeated jokes about her sexuality, if unchecked, would lead to a hostile workplace.

 

[Exophase]

Doesn't the term "sexual harassment" usually mean that someone is pursuing another person inappropriately? Unwanted attention from a coworker, or someone using their higher position to pressure someone?

Seems to me that telling a i love you joke at lunch, or cornering someone to tell them they're going to hell for having sex with goats is something else.

What if someone tells a joke that begins .. "A priest, a preacher and a rabbi walk into a bar"? Is that religious harassment?

From what I can gather it qualifies because it's harassing and of a sexual nature, even if it doesn't signal an unwanted sexual advance. The religious castigation, on the other hand, may not be considered sexual harassment.

 

[herm0016]

ours in included many gems, including how to trick a guy into hitting himself in the nuts with a pipe wrench, jokes about being "an old gal using an abacus" and how to exclude your fellow coworkers that complain because you wont take them to lunch with you.

the whole thing is a running joke around here.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Doesn't the term "sexual harassment" usually mean that someone is pursuing another person inappropriately? Unwanted attention from a coworker, or someone using their higher position to pressure someone?

Seems to me that telling a i love you joke at lunch, or cornering someone to tell them they're going to hell for having sex with goats is something else.

What if someone tells a joke that begins .. "A priest, a preacher and a rabbi walk into a bar"? Is that religious harassment?

As others have mentioned, it's sexual harassment.
ANY comment of a sexual nature falls under this.

Seems like you could use a little training on what is and what isn't harassment.

 

[RPD]

Everybody where I work had to do an online coarse. You could just blow through it though and skip right to the exam. Most of the questions where on the level of

Lisa is wearing a tight pants today should you

A. grab Lisa's ass
B. not grab Lisa's ass

So it was pretty easy to get a passing grade and get on with your day.

This so much this. I've been told in California is a legal requirement (WTF!!) for anyone that supervises anyone to do this I think yearly... So I just minimize the video with the sound off and check in every 30min or so to do the "no shit Sherlock" quiz.

 

[Carson Dyle]

As others have mentioned, it's sexual harassment.
ANY comment of a sexual nature falls under this.

If it is, then it's just become a blanket term for the politically correct.

Or maybe it's just what they've taught you.

 

[Uppsala9496]

If it is, then it's just become a blanket term for the politically correct.

Or maybe it's just what they've taught you.

It is actually in the definition of sexual harassment in employment practices liability insurance which is a legal binding contract.
Since this insurance has been around a long time and the courts have no issues with the language, it's not a blanket term for the politically correct.

I used to underwrite this stuff. Pretty familiar with the terminology.

 

[pete6032]

It boggles the mind that grown adults need to be taught how to behave in a work environment.

 

[Carson Dyle]

It boggles the mind that grown adults need to be taught how to behave in a work environment.

Yep. Or the simple difference between right and wrong.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

It boggles the mind that grown adults need to be taught how to behave in a work environment.

And yet, we do! ()

 

[Red Squirrel]

I had to take sexual harassment training once, apparently you're not allowed to practice on real people, only on the dolls. Wait, that was CPR.

 

[shortylickens]

if this woman was really offended then I dont think she's going survive in the business world.

BUT, the note was stupid and stupidity of that nature does not belong in the work place. I dont understand how people think they can get away with such nonsense in the 21st century. There should be more than enough evidence to make you realize you'll be punished if you act like a dumb teenager.

That kind of stupid shouldnt be allowed to work in an office, regardless of what their personal beliefs are. Find the bastard and kick him out. He's too dense to be of use to your company. He'll only cause problems.

 

[Eli]

don't bang your coworkers.

What kind of lame advice is this? I've had some of my best encounters with women who also happened to be coworkers.

 

[rsutoratosu]

Not only did I took a class, it was like 8 hours long. Had to do a bunch of multiple choice test to make sure you understand it.. if not you retake it.. insane.

So I witness someone that got fired. Basically bunch of people in doing work in their desks. Hot chic comes in for interview, one guy threw a thumbs up. Guy was fired by end of the day. LA office video conf in to NY, ceo throws a book on the desk and say, this is the employee guide, read it and know it and the call disconnects.

Half of us didn't even know what was going on till end of the day..

 

[Carson Dyle]

What kind of lame advice is this? I've had some of my best encounters with women who also happened to be coworkers.

Nonetheless, you have to tread very carefully. Bad enough are the repercussions following a breakup and the misery that follows. (And the reason for the great advice: "You don't shit where you eat.")

The real quicksand is in the pursuit. You know that barista that you flirt with for a couple weeks while figuring out if she might be interested? Then you ask her out, she says 'no'. And a month later you ask again and she say's she has a boyfriend. And a month later you ask again and she relents and says 'OK'? That shit doesn't fly in the office.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Speaking of banging co-workers, the hospital I used to work at had a lot of stuff like that going on. The staff stairwells (people rarely used those) and the library were common places to do it in. Heard all sorts of stories.

 

[smackababy]

Had to do them yearly at a company I used to work for. They got progressively more vague about what could be harassment. The last video we had to watch listed "Hi Susan. You look nice today" as something that could be considered sexual harassment.

I really wish I was joking

The following company was involved in manufacturing. Talk about extremes

Some of them get pretty fucking stupid. One was a guy and a girl who had hooked up at some conference. Guy approached girl about getting dinner and doing a project that night, she declines. He said "what about Boston" or some shit and she says it was a mistake. He then is like "well, we still gotta do this project. So, let's get started." and she totally blows it off with a "I don't want to." Next, in her performance review, she gets a negative comment because she the guy reported her for not doing the project. And that is sexual harassment by him.

 

[Newbian]

I had to take sexual harassment training once, apparently you're not allowed to practice on real people, only on the dolls. Wait, that was CPR.

You still gave the dolls too much tongue didn't you?

 

[gorcorps]

What I got from it is that you can say anything once, but once somebody says they're uncomfortable with it you better stop

 

[JTsyo]

Includes "trigger warnings"

I thought those were a joke. Turns out they're real... kids these days.

For someone who has been raped, seeing such situations acted out could be traumatic.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I hate to play Devil's advocate here but I have to ask.... Why does anyone know she's a lesbian?

I mean it's not like it asks if you're gay or straight on your job application. Nor is it normal to go around asking people "Excuse me but I was wondering do you prefer penis' or vagina's?" Point obviously being, she had to be outspoken about it, which I would certainly file in the "Not professionally work appropriate" box as well. I don't go around telling people I'm straight and love vagina's, I'm pretty sure I would get written up, so why is this any different?

 

[sourceninja]

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