Step into my office….
…and shut the door behind you!
OK, I don’t know how many of you have heard this from a boss or one of the higher ups at work. I suppose if you have, in your mind you say to yourself, “What have I screwed up now?” Actually, mistakes are not the issue here. Next you see the boss moving over to you and he/she starts to touch you in places where only your mate has dared to venture before!
I came across this article on MALE sexual harrassment at the workplace while having my cuppa tea this morning. I think that most of the ideas that it expresses are valid. Most men would really not complain if their bosses (or other co-workers) were to make sexual advances towards them. They would probably just go along with it in the hope of getting some sexual satisfaction. Being a pretty homophobic society, if the boss was a man now, that’s a horse of a different colour.
Having said this, I also agree with the view expressed that were it to happen to a man here and he complained, others (especially his male co-workers) may brand him as a wuss or ’soffas’ were he not to go along with it to preserve his macho image. However, I agree that sexual harrassment on the job is fundamentally wrong. For bosses to use sex/sexuality in order to demonstrate their control over their workers should not be condoned. If my boss (who is female) were to do this to me (and I doubt very much that she would), as much as she is an attractive woman, I think I would cop out. Because I respect her, it would simply just feel wrong and I would lose the respect that I have for her after that. Yeah, so maybe I’m a wuss.
Anyhow, I have never had this happen to me (and don’t think I haven’t noticed that my boss is a good looking woman) and I hope it would not. But, I don’t have much time to labour on this post as I am meeting up with the boss and the rest of the staff for Rounds as usual this morning. What I will do, is ask you to share your views about on the job sexual harrassment (and your experiences if you have indeed been exposed to it…….if you so desire). Have a good day at work, and I hope the boss doesn’t try anything out of the ordinary today!
May 28th, 2003 at 9:07 am Why am I surprised? Just realised that Claude Mills is the author. He always writes good stuff! Respec Claude!
May 28th, 2003 at 7:47 pm And do women ask for harassment when they wear skirts shorter than their panties and dipping necklines to their waist? Would the attention to male harassment be equal if men wore plunging flies and plunging pant lines that reveal their buns (I mean aside from plumbers who inevitably always wear their pants considerably lower than the social standard)?
May 28th, 2003 at 7:56 pm Great post ~ sexual harrasment is sexual harrasement regardless of which gender is seeking out favors in the work place ~ the probelm with “proving” sexual harrasement is the same with “proving” date rape………..society for the most part believes that an individual invites these advances, rather it be behavior or the way they dress *mainly with women since men are usually only allowed dress attire* however my view is this ~ if you want me pursue me on the CORRECT roads of the path outside of work ~ if you don’t then leave me alone other than what dealings we have to do in a work enviornment ~ I do believe that men tend to get more sexual harrasement than women in the work force and for a man who steps up to the place and takes a stand is not at least in my book a *wuss* he is standing up for his principles, values, and respect!!!!
May 28th, 2003 at 9:49 pm *Imagines flirting with boss* //big hairy lady chef// !!!nooo!!!! well….would there be a payrise involved….?
May 29th, 2003 at 10:26 am For Valentine’s day, my co-worker made everyone a copy of an anti-valentine card featuring a picture of cupid with his bow/arrows, and the caption: “Fat, naked, dangerous!” Shortly after recieving his copy, the boss, (about a 70 year old guy) quipped: “Thanks for the card, but which one of us is gonna be fat, naked and dangerous?” Oohh, I’m still laughing!
May 29th, 2003 at 4:56 pm Dr. D, Michael Crichton has written a novel called “Disclosure,” which is about sexual harassment. In this case, it’s a woman executive who is doing the harassing. I won’t tell you the story, but I can tell you that it is an absorbing book.
May 29th, 2003 at 11:21 pm I read Disclosure in one sitting - it’s a nice read. Everyone at my workplace is required to complete an online course once a year on the topic of sexual harrassment. It’s kind of annoying, but I understand the reasoning behind it.