Feel like ****

[mnreefgeek]

Long story short....
I took over as supervisor at this company about 10 months ago. life is good. My staff is great. I get pulled into the building manager's office today and find out that there's a complaint about my best employee for showing pictures of his garden off. He put his hand on a woman's, supposibly his friend's,shoulder, no funnt buisness. I know this guy like my own brother and he thinks his wife is the world. No ill intent intended, but since we work for corporate HQ the worst is always the first solution, so I have to let him go on Monday.
Reason I really feel likes#$t is, he helped me cut the wood for my new hood today, as I got this news and he had all of the wood. I paid squat!!! We were half way through the project when I got the call saying something was up. I didn't find out until later what was going on with the understanding that i say nothing to him until Monday.
My question is.... How do you tell your friend that he's fired for pure buls$%T????
In a tough spot. Any suggestions are definately welcome.

[Doug1]

Any possibillity of transfer or something?
Talk about being between a big rock and a Hard place

[Alice]

That sucks. I hope he brings action against the company (which I know may be bad for you) because that is going to follow him the rest of his life. If nothing else, he won't be able to collect unemployment for quite some time as he is being fired for misconduct.

I think you are just going to have to be as sympathic towards your friend in private as you can be, but you're going to have to walk the company line or risk losing your job. Which also sucks.

IMO, the sexual harrasment thing has gone way beyond it's original intent.

Alice

[cath]

Boy, that does suck! I think Alice is right about talking to your friend in private. For heaven's sake, such a petty comment from that woman is going to ruin so many other people's lives.

[ShirleyM]

You're saying he put his hand on a woman's shoulder?

How is that grounds for crossing the "line"?

My former principal patted a 5th grade girl on the behind -- a little too long, I must say, and a very "grown up" girl I might add, and when she complained to her mother, who took it to the superintendent, it was brushed off as nothing. And this guy has a history...

So what is the real reason for the firing? I'm seriously wondering what happened here...is this woman complaining? What's this got to do with "garden photos"?

Concerned,

Shirley

[ShirleyM]

What about warnings, instead of action, for a "first offense"?

My brother has been a supervisor of a small company for many years. He hires/fires/trains/oversees about 50 women and a dozen men...all from a small town...everyone knows everyone, and he's had to deal with this garbage. I've sent an email asking what he'd do...but he doesn't ck mail daily...

[mnreefgeek]

Problem is is they're Corporate and we're Contract. Same SH rules don't apply to us I guess. I figured that it would just be one of those things that get talked about and dropped. Not this time I guess. I guess the powers that be think that it's easier to totally eradicate the problem rather than working through it.

[ShirleyM]

I'd tell your friend now, rather than later. I'd also expect him to not inform anyone that you told him now. This will be the test of friendship and integrity -- he deserves to know now, since you - his friend - know. You derserve his confidentiality since you are his friend.

Did this woman complain?? If she posed for a photo, there was plenty of time for her to "move aside" if she didn't like his hand on her shoulder.

[Jeremy1973]

I second what others are saying... Talk to him in pvt. He should also seek legal aid on this, cause you are right, it sounds like total hogwash. If this lady is gonna yell sexual harasment for any guy who touches her shoulder, then 1) she needs psychatric help, 2) might aswell throw in jail every guy she will ever meet. I also agree, that the company is out of line by firing him. There should be a first offense warning. AND there should be an inquiry in to the incident to justify the grounds for firing. They need to look in to see if this lady had a grudge against him, etc. Cause you are right, this is total BS. Sorry to go off on this, I was a manager at a bookstore once, and I had to deal with this. The girl that complained about a guy patting her on the back for a "job well done", got him fired. Yet, when another "cute" guy patted her on the back, just to say hi each day, nothing.

Also, I don't know, if you can afford it bro, I would seriously look in to transfering or quitting. I know it sounds extreme, but just a thought. But as I have already ranted..tell him to seek legal counsel on this.

[uurt]

This woman is supposed to be his "friend"???? I hhope I never have a "friend" like her. I would try to find out if she has made similar complaints befroe. She could be chronic.
Best of luck...

Lee

[mdemagalski]

No chance for counseling? Or hearing both sides of the story? Some friend she is.

[Alice]

You know what strikes me when I read back over this? Why in the world didn't that woman just say something to your friend? "You're invading my personal space" or "Please don't do that" or even "Back off, Jack!"

People have become so used to lawyers or companies or SOMEONE else being used to hold people accountable they don't even bother to resolve problems themselves any more. Which is a sad statement on our society as a whole.

Alice

[Jeremy1973]

So, what's the update mnreefgeek?

[Stoney Reef]

I believe the law states that Sexual harrassment is unwanted contact. In order for them to know it is unwanted, she must express this, then everything else is taboo. That is how we handle it. So if this is the first time and she has never said, your invading my space, then it is not sexual harrassment. Additionally, if you do fire him, and your at HQ, there should be some form of appeal process.

Also, he can still apply for unemployment, and when they make the inquiry, your company actually has to provide proof of misconduct. I can tell you from experience, that they have no proof the way you portrayed it. When was th first contact when she notified him that the contact was unwanted?


They actually tried to do this to me once, I won't get into all the details of the court battles and such, but lets just say I blew the whistle on some patient deaths at a World Renoun Clinic.

Ahem: Cough, Cough

Anyhow, Unemployment did a big investigation and they ended up paying me unemployment benefits, and insurance benefits. Of course that piece of paper from the state saying I did absolutely nothing wrong was golden! This opened it up for suits against the admin, the supervisor, and the complainee.

Anyhow, That is all I am going to say about it.


As a employer, in a multi million dollar company right now, I would have to say it is very harsh, and it sounds like there are ulterior motives.

[mnreefgeek]

Well, I guess the good news is, is the jurys still out. We've already had our discussion, so he knows something could potentially be coming his way.

As for the SH laws. They don't really apply as far as I can see and from what's been explained to me. As I said earlier in the post, we're contractors, extended contract, not full time employees. They can realease us from the contract for what ever reason they see fit with no legal reprocussions to them. That's why the company policy is to remove the problem before a regular employee comes after them for not doing anything. I don't agree with it and all of my higher ups know my feelings on the issue. Guess I'll find more out today.