The first week of April I got a new female (by the way I am a female also) manager. From day one she came up to me gave me a hug not a hi I'm ___ and I'm your new manager. THen in the last 2 months it has gone from hugs to playing with my hair, rubbing my face, then giving me kisses on the top of my head, forehead and cheek to pinching my butt then last Tuesday was the final straw I leaned down to pick something up and she put her hand down the back of my pants growled in my ear made the comment "you have on hot scieevies (spell?) I like the tattoo" I got up and walked out of the office trying to convince myself not to lay this lady out! Told my tech who was working that I had had it that she had gone too far this time. Later that day while the tech was sitting with me at my desk my manager came up to me kissed me on my forehead, cheek and top of my head.

I filed a complaint, have letters from 4 employees who have seen her doing things a letter from one employee who told her the first week that she was there that she was too touchy feely and another letter from an employees who butt she also pinched.

I spoke with the attorney for our company today who said baiscally that they spoke with her and there will be a no touch policy in effect! HELLO isn't that the state law! Am I crazy to think that an employer should not have to be told not to kiss, pinch or put their hands down the back of someones pants?

Now here is the kicker... I told the attorney Ok but I have a copy of the Employee policy that states if harrassment is found to be true immediate termination or suspension will take place. He replies " I don't know if that policy book has been enforced" Ok but this is the SAME policy hand book you referred to when you fired my last manager for "co-hercing" with another employee which was consensual!!!

I am so furious right now I don't know what else to do can anyone else help me with this. You would think that since I have actual proof and that I'm not the only one she has done this too and that she was already warned once that she was too touchy feely that she would have been reprimanded in someway!

And how do you know that she hasn't been reprimanded? There is nothing in the law that requires them to tell you what action they take. How do you know that they didn't ream her out in private and put a big fat "final warning" in her file?

Too many people assume that if the perpetrator is not fired or suspended that automatically means that the employer has done nothing, and that is not at all true in most cases.

Any well-written handbook has a clause in it somewhere giving the employer the right to modify or suspend any policies at their discretion.

The bottom line is that you do not have any legal means to force them to take the action you want to see taken.

I know she wasn't b/c I spoke with the attorney that represents the company and the employees and he stated "she was talked to and told that we will put in a no touch policy I feel that is enough". ALso she is BEST friends with one of the owners, dinner parties, birthday parties, out drinking with them etc.

If she was a male she would have been fired that day plain and simple. I don't go for this whole double standard crap!

That is pretty creepy codabear, you did the right thing bringing it to managments attention.

Legally, Management has doen the right thing by investigating and addressing it. I do agree with you, if a guy, she would have been canned and I'd agree with that decision be it male or female for that behavior. However, you company had made their decision.

Now the question remains, did the touching stop?

sockeye,
Yes the touching has stopped which I am greatful for however I was not able to go to a doctors appointment on Friday which I always have been able to go as long as someone can cover the phones for 1/2 hour, I was told that no-one is irreplaceable on Friday ( to me that's making the work place a hostile place) and she was suppose to work on next Saturday b/c the two girls (one wrote a letter stating that she pinched her butt) who are sisters and split working the weekends need next saturday off and I offered to work for a little bit even though I don't work weekends and she insisted on that she would work so I made other plans and now she won't work it. After she said over and over on Monday and Tuesday morning that she would work it then all of a sudden after the one girl met with the attorney on Tuesday she won't work it now. I just keep notes of everything now.

You were offended, but I do not see any intent to harass you, but rather a manager with a more touchy-feely management style that is very personal. That may be due to cultural influences or personality, or maybe in her prior workplace people liked the touch and hugs approach. You may be offended, but others like that management style. It really depends. You did what you were supposed to if you were offended and maybe should ahve said something to the manager directly as she likely had no intent to offend, but just was a toucy-feely person for whatever the reason.

She was talked to. That IS a reprimand. That IS doing something.

If the touching has stopped the company has met their legal obligation.

Hi codabear,

Glad to hear that the touching stopped, it would have made me batty.

However your opinion in you last post about the time not covered constitutes a hostile environemnt does not meet the legal definition.

You did the right thing, the company handled it, and the touching stopped. It's a better environment for all so time to feel better and move on.

I know how you feel - I was harassed and finally filed a complaint. Even when the person was told not to contact me he did so anyway and I even filed a police report with the facility I am employed at. I have evidence in the form of emails and letters - along with witness statements. Few people can comprehend the extent of this because he has been working for so many years - BUT I am fully aware of the type of person he is. When he was terminated by the facility he was able to appeal and got suspension with mandated counselling. Do I feel this is fair? Of course not, especially when I have full support by the facility. BUT it's funny how they tell you all about your rights against harassment and CLEARLY outline what it wrong - then when someone does it, it's a different story. I can only tell you that I am now becoming proactive.