What Is Harassment?

[just_incorrect]

At my job, we’re required to attend a harassment seminar every year, we sit there for 4 hours listening to someone babble on about what is consider harassment in the work place.

It all comes down to ‘WHAT EVER SOMEONE DON’T LIKE COULD BE HARRASSMENT OR CAUSING AN HOSTILE WORK ENVIROMENT”

So my question is what can a person say, write or do that will cause you to report them?

 

[TicklishLurker]

Well, they pretty much have to be a real pest before I report them. For example: I'm a member of this website called Gather where you can publish articles and stuff. It's basically a more mature MySpace. Well, I wrote an article about why I prefer older men. This trouble maker came in with moronic comments and made the article all about her. She's a raving egomaniac who hijacks people's articles all the time. Gather won't let you delete comments, so I deleted the entire article and republished. She kept trying to make it all about her. When I started editing my articles so only certain people can see them, she rushed to the others and made a big fuss because I had sent her a messaging saying to leave me alone, I don't like her and don't want her comments which is why I deleted the article. She even made one I had written on the year aniversary of my best friend's death all about her and the fact I don't like her. (She's a vain little twit. And frankly, based on all the stuff in her profile, I think she's lying about everything. She's either a 16 year old girl or a 40 year old man living with his parents. She claims to be in her 30s, but her pictures are of a woman much younger, claims she's been a nurse and a bunch of other things, but is on disability now....) She thinks the world revolves around her and she's always right and everyone else is wrong.

That is definantly harassment. I complained to Gather about the lack of ability to delete unwanted comments or block users from commenting and told them all about her. Everyone on Gather hates her - they even write articles about how much trouble she causes.

 

[Feathery]

Many companies hold harassment seminars for their employees at the recommendation of their legal departments. This is primarily to absolve them of any responsibility should a lawsuit should arise regarding harassment, sexual or otherwise. In other words, they are covering their corporate asses. What is harassment? It is somewhat arbitrary, but basically it's using offensive or inappropriate language or actions in the workplace.

 

[just_incorrect]

Examples

I understand the clinical definition of Harassment, but I’m asking the true definition,

Ex. I’m sitting in my car on my cell phone after my shift is over with on the company parking lot. I’m having a sexually exploit conversation with my wife, a co-worker that parks next to me over heard my conversation and find it appalling. I want into my office the next day and called to HR, to find a complaint lodge against me for the conversation I had in my car on my cell. I was told because I was on the company’s lot that why the written me up.

Is this truly harassment or someone with nothing to do but cause other people pain and suffering?

Ex. 2 the female co-workers and I been long time friends and I always compliment them on their outfits. A new female employee comes to our department and I don’t say anything but good morning to her, I don’t joke, or compliment her on her daily apparel, many because I don’t know her. And haven’t had time to introduce myself to her, but she hears me joking to the other female employees on a daily bases.

One morning I’m called to HR because a harassment complaint has been file against me a employee said I uncomfortable because I compliment the other ladies in my department on their attire. HR is investigating to see if I’m causing her to be in a hostile work environment. Is this truly harassment from me or the co-worker I don’t talk to?

 

[TicklishLurker]

Both are just examples of people being pinheads. No actual harassment involved.

Only harassment I've recieved is on the internet. My work enviroment is mostly made up of women and the one man is just a teaser and he never says anything sexual, just jokes about things. Closest we've gotten is one of the clerks sent flowers to another clerk, pretending they were from the homeless man who has a crush on her.

 

[Feathery]

I understand the clinical definition of Harassment, but I’m asking the true definition,

Ex. I’m sitting in my car on my cell phone after my shift is over with on the company parking lot. I’m having a sexually exploit conversation with my wife, a co-worker that parks next to me over heard my conversation and find it appalling. I want into my office the next day and called to HR, to find a complaint lodge against me for the conversation I had in my car on my cell. I was told because I was on the company’s lot that why the written me up.

Is this truly harassment or someone with nothing to do but cause other people pain and suffering?

Ex. 2 the female co-workers and I been long time friends and I always compliment them on their outfits. A new female employee comes to our department and I don’t say anything but good morning to her, I don’t joke, or compliment her on her daily apparel, many because I don’t know her. And haven’t had time to introduce myself to her, but she hears me joking to the other female employees on a daily bases.

One morning I’m called to HR because a harassment complaint has been file against me a employee said I uncomfortable because I compliment the other ladies in my department on their attire. HR is investigating to see if I’m causing her to be in a hostile work environment. Is this truly harassment from me or the co-worker I don’t talk to?

It appears that you have at least a few hyper sensitive co workers at your job. Perhaps they're using the letter of the law to enforce their own sociopolitical agenda, or maybe they just want to get you fired? There was a woman at my job, a few years ago, who used to look at the internet history on everyone's computer to see what they were viewing, and if she didn't like it, she would report them. Eventually she did something that got her into trouble and she was immediately canned... of course she didn't have any allies to back her up. My advice would be to play it cool, especially when you are in the presence of co workers who you are unfamiliar with.

 

[just_incorrect]

Both are just examples of people being pinheads. No actual harassment involved.

Only harassment I've recieved is on the internet. My work enviroment is mostly made up of women and the one man is just a teaser and he never says anything sexual, just jokes about things. Closest we've gotten is one of the clerks sent flowers to another clerk, pretending they were from the homeless man who has a crush on her.

Sorry but it happen to me both time at two different jobs when i was a contractor

But i like the flower one.