Do you consider this sexist?

[terravista]

We had a 40 year old female employee who has left on stress leave after allegedly being "sexually harassed" by a male employee.
There was an instance after she had an altercation with a subbie where she verbally stood up to him, and the meme below was left on her desk a few days later as a sign of respect by the male employee. This is now being used in a complaint to Human Rights as evidence of sexual harassment.
What I am trying to do is get a feel from "real people" on whether they would consider this meme to be sexual harassment, or as it was meant as a (jokey) sign of respect, no matter how tacky that may look.
Cheers
Ian

[paceman]

without the female employee knowing why it was left on her desk and without her knowing the context (ie:  workplace support, not harassment), i can see how this can be construed as harassment.

seems to be poor judgement by the employee that left it on her desk... if the male employee had spoken to the female employee when they left it on her desk, the situation might have been seen differently by the female employee.

just my opinion...

[time]

Totally inappropriate in the work place, she has a good case, hope the boss has deeeeeep pockets.

If you can't see how obviously offensive this would be to that employee then ................ 

[Bird]

I had a complaint from HR by the new HR beast cause I had a photo of a girl in a bikini scroll through the screen at the milli second she walked past.. She lots the plot over it.. She felt "Sexually Harassed" by it. This is a "female" that cant walk in high heels but gives us a laugh daily! Its like watching Mr Humphreys from Are you being Served.

It wouldn't have been on the screen for more than 2 seconds as we were looking at a website in the USA from a car show similar to Sema...

Then again every single bloke on this floor has now had an official complaint made by her about them...
Amazingly that all the chicks seem to win the monthly awards for work well done since she started.. I Shit you not.

The world is officially ****ed.

[UIZ733]

Absolutely.

[Footy Shorts Shane]

hope the boss has deeeeeep pockets.

And that's where the system sucks arse. Why is it always someone else is to pay for others actions ?

[StrvnMrvn]

And that's where the system sucks arse. Why is it always someone else is to pay for others actions ?

Because now days the employer has a responsibility to provide training in this area. If they don't do it, then they are the ones in trouble!!

I hate it when something so simple turns to crap when another family member gets involved! And they don't even work there or were even present when it happened!! Go Figure!!

[ScottT]

It's 2015 people

[Bird]

It's 2015 people

I'd be more than happy to go back to 1984 and stay there... This world has turned very sad and pathetic these days

Bring on

[Green rv]

got a mate that was working for a city council
he was walking past a female employee's desk and she had some male porn on at the time
he put in a complaint and was told to suck it up or leave

Adam

[StrvnMrvn]

got a mate that was working for a city council
he was walking past a female employee's desk and she had some male porn on at the time
he put in a complaint and was told to suck it up or leave

Adam

WTF?

[ScottT]

I'd be more than happy to go back to 1984 and stay there... This world has turned very sad and pathetic these days

Bring on

So would I, I'd be 16 ! How good would that be ! 

All I'm saying is times have changed, whether or not we agree, it's the way it is

[Desert lover]

I think your mate crossed the line with that one.  However I also think that the person receiving the card could have handled it somewhat differently....particularly if this was the first time she had been the subject of "harassment" issues.   

I worked in the job where we had very interesting interactions with the public on many occasions...... we developed a rather sick sense of humour to manage the stress of many situations.... This humour when just amongst the members didn't upset too many in the past (male or female) and if it was getting a bit 'rank' as females we would just disappear for a while until the boys got over it.....or call them on it and then get over it......however in today's society the general population is a bit sensitive I think and far too quick to go and tell the boss... give the blokes the benefit of the doubt I reckon.... give them what for, tell them it isn't appreciated and they've gone a bit too far.....give them a chance to recognise that maybe they have and then apologise and change..... finally get on with life and your job.
Females don't always do themselves a service either in the way they dress or behave. 

[Bird]

I think your mate crossed the line with that one.  However I also think that the person receiving the card could have handled it somewhat differently

We all do but you don't get a payout that way...

[jetcrew]

imagine your wife brought that home to show you, and said  that a male college had left it on her desk ..

I know what I,d be telling my wife to do ..same thing ...nobody talks about my vagina except me .LOL (now thats sexist thinking I own my wife I know 

Jet

[Hewy54]

Got to be so careful nowdays.
A few years ago I got into trouble for sexual harassment.
I used to get to work early and tidy up the kitchen area and do a few dishes. Got sick of the same cups being left for someone else to clean, so to make the point I filled the unwashed cups and put them in the freezer (no idea of whose they were).
One female complained so I was hauled over the coals for harassment.
Easy fix - I stopped doing other peoples dishes.

[evaredy]

I really think people should harden up!

Most of this crap is just an excuse to either get some money, get paid leave or just being vindictive.

Mind you, physical contact is a completely different story.

[tk421]

I think in this case, it could be construed as harassment. A verbal chat probably was a better way to handle it. Its very hard because they just have to find it harassing for it to be deemed harassment and an action like that can be misconstrued.

Unfortunately more and more these days, there are those who cry wolf and who use it as a cover or an excuse (I am not suggesting that is the case here). I was involved as a witness in a racial harassment case - accuser was fired for being bad at their job and subsequently claimed it was racially motivated and claimed racial harassment by their manager. The day before we were due to appear in court the case was dropped.  It was a very mixed workplace, and the accuser had forgotten about the 6 black men and women, and the 2 Indians who also worked for the same manager & were prepared to testify in their support. Bloody stressful few days

Then there was the case of the council work who was fired for coming in and saying "Good morning Ladies". He apparently should have said "Good morning fellow co-workers"

[Robbo]

The PC world has gone mad these days. Nobody has a sense of humour and is so precious.
The workplace back in the 60's 70's and 80's was so different. You could have a laugh and joke
and poke fun at each other and nobody got offended or gave a toss. Many of the jokes and
comments etc. were from the women to the guys. They were priceless.
Some people need to harden up.

[Bird]

The PC world has gone mad these days. Nobody has a sense of humour and is so precious.
The workplace back in the 60's 70's and 80's was so different. You could have a laugh and joke
and poke fun at each other and nobody got offended or gave a toss. Many of the jokes and
comments etc. were from the women to the guys. They were priceless.
Some people need to harden up.

I love u...

[paceman]

The PC world has gone mad these days. Nobody has a sense of humour and is so precious.
The workplace back in the 60's 70's and 80's was so different. You could have a laugh and joke
and poke fun at each other and nobody got offended or gave a toss. Many of the jokes and
comments etc. were from the women to the guys. They were priceless.
Some people need to harden up.

whilst i agree that the PC world has gone too far, do you still think that a message talking about a woman's vagina and left on her desk, without her knowing who put it there, is OK?

i have my doubts that this (messages left without knowing who left it and containing sexually explicit language) has been deemed 'acceptable' in any era.

times have changed.  if the woman in the original post had a history of making the kinds of jokes you are alluding to, then i would see less of an issue with it. 

but the facts, as stated, point to something else entirely and in an office environment, i'm not surprised that she was offended.

[Jeepers Creepers]

Nothing, and I really mean, NOTHING these days can be left in print or its gunna come back and leave teeth marks in your arse.

Face to face, you MIGHT get away with a bit in the way it's delivered and even then, its thin ice material.

Years ago, i got dragged into a hearing about something I didn't even do.

I won the case, but it still cost me $1,800 to fight it.
Better than the $10,000 the cow was going after from me too.

[Bird]

Better than the $10,000 the cow was going after from me too.

did you cut the wrong bush???

[terravista]

The boss may well need deep pockets, as he is the one who put it on her desk after she left work, and as soon as he came in the next morning, asked her if she saw it, and pointed out that it was left is as a joke.
It shouldn't matter, but is is a Builders office, and this female employee has been heard to swear at suppliers at the same time as trying to come off as the quiet, shy and typical "butter wouldn't melt" in my mouth type. She has had two husbands with a kid to each. Separated from the second husband and whilst trying to get reconciled with him had 2 affairs. She is a Cougar, and seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist.
While in the office made a fraudulent motor vehicle insurance claim, and once even stole my cookie from the fridge (unforgivable). She is permanent part time and collecting more Centrelink than is legal, and would appear to be trying for a big payout.
Yep, life was so much better when people had a sense of humour.
I see where the meme could come over as offensive, unfunny, and even distasteful, but I must be too old, as I cannot see any harassment involved.

[Jeepers Creepers]

did you cut the wrong bush???

Oh mate, it was an ugly thing huh, pretty much the ugliest woman ever to walk the earth. We inherited her when we bought a Real Estate office many years ago.

I heard a few years later, she grew some facial whiskers and got a job as a walrus at SeaWorld.
She already had the smell and the sound correct prior to the whiskers too.