Harassment?

[Irish2370]

I am not sure if this is workplace harassment or creating a hostile work environment, and if there has been any legal infraction or just poor business practices. My wife works for a small company in the state of IN as a multi-unit manager. She reports to the VP of Operations who reports to the owner of the company, both of which are male. The VP has been having an extra marital affair with one of the unit managers for over two years. The owner of the company has been aware of this for over three months. The VP made this commonly known to my wife and her male equal. At first it did not impact the work environment, then my wife was asked as a favor to purchase lingerie for the VP’s mistress. The main impact on the workplace was the time the VP spent sneaking around during business hours and the positions they were put in covering for the VP. The next situation occurred during a cocktail party when the mistress told one of my wife’s unit managers of the affair. This adversely affected the relationship between my wife and her unit manager, because she found out my wife was aware of the affair. At this point my wife and her male equal decided to speak to the owner of the company because it was now common knowledge of the VP’s actions. They were concerned because of some financial downfalls that they were experiencing at that time and the lack of concern by their superior, the VP. They were at the point that the working condition were impossible and they were unable to complete their jobs successfully. They spoke with the owner of their concerns and the impact that it was having on their ability to do their jobs. After the meeting the owner stated that he had some decisions to make, and would meet with them later in the week. During this time an anonymous letter was sent to the VP’s wife notifying her of the affair. (Not sent by my wife, but I believe that VP suspects that it may be her) The owner met with the VP and informed him he was likely to lose his job due to the affair and his lack of interest in his job. They had a second meeting and it was decided that the VP wanted to fix things and apply himself to his responsibilities. During one of these two meetings, the particulars were discussed of the conversation that was had with my wife her equal and the owner. The VP was informed of their meeting and their concerns of the working conditions. My wife is now is in a hostile working environment, due to the breach of confidentiality by the owner of the company. She now wants to quit her job because of the work conditions. Is this poor business judgment or does she have a legitimate legal claim. Thank you

 

[buddy2bear]

What exactly are you looking for? You say that you wife is ready to quit. Well, it appears as if she has made up her mind already. She does not appear to have been sexually harassed personally. Hostile working environment is not that easy to prove and would take a long time to go through the EEOC, Human Relations Dept.(depending on state) and the court if you get a "Right to Sue" letter from the EEOC. In the end, your wife will still/be without a job. With the availability of jobs now, your wife should just move on because it won't get any better. She has an owner of a business who doesn't know what to do with a VP who is fooling around. Of course, if you are looking for money, then start at the EEOC by filing a charge. Those big awards you see in the paper that some people get are few and far between not to mention the mental and emotional tolls they take on the women and their families. If you want to be completely sure if your wife has a cause of action, then you will have to consult a labor and employment law attorney because there is no simple answer to your question.