My manager is creating a hostile/unprofessional environment, but is he harassing me?

[wablue33]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

Three months ago a coworker harassed me. I emailed a peer for advice and I decided not to report it nor tell my managers (asked the peer to keep quiet also). He never said anything else inappropriate to me and we built a professional relationship working together. Now, I find out that he was just written up for inappropriate behavior with our vendor and he has "one more chance to mess up". The peer that I told about the incident told my manager about his comments to me (3 months later). So my manager decides he wants to talk to me about the incident and I told my manager several times I was ok and didnt want to proceed in getting him into trouble, my manager begins to bully me into telling him that im not really ok and that I am hurting and "JUST ADMIT IT, YOU ARE HURTING". He was basically treating me like a rape victim and I then began to feel more uncomfortable with my manager than the actual incident!! I feel that he is making my incident something bigger because he wants a reason to fire the guy. So HR is now involved and I told HR that I am ok and I don't want to get him into trouble. Just make him take a sexual harassment class and "LEAVE ME OUT OF IT!" I told her that I don't appreciate my manager trying to push me to say "im not ok or I feel threatened" So now, my manager calls me up basically saying "I have a feeling that you are not happy here...I just get this big suspicion.." He is going back and forth with me about it and he is fishing for answers and wanting to know what I told HR about what the harassment topic and what I them. Basically he wanted to know if I told HR that I wasn't ok like he WANTED ME to do, but I didn't. A coworker emailed me and told me that my manager came to her desk early that morning asking her "What is wrong with me and that I talk to her more than him". I am beginning to feel uncomfortable and harassed by my manager. For some reason he wants me to be friends with him and wonders why "I like the people from the other department more than him...". Every time he sees me talking to others he gets this creepy look on his face and will say something very condescending to me. Am I annoyed or being harassed?Please help. Sorry so long!

 

[cbg]

When the company becomes aware of illegal harassment, they are legally liable for it. He may be taking it a bit over the top but now that he knows there was illegal harassment, they are OBLIGATED to see that it stops. Which most of the time means investigating it.

 

[wablue33]

When the company becomes aware of illegal harassment, they are legally liable for it. He may be taking it a bit over the top but now that he knows there was illegal harassment, they are OBLIGATED to see that it stops. Which most of the time means investigating it.

I understand that,but I told him out of my mouth that it hasn't happened again but he is pushing me to tell HR that I'm "hurting" because of it which is not the case. I'm not gonna lie and act like a victim. Thanks for your response.

 

[cbg]

Then go to HR, tell them what transpired, and be done with it. You don't have to tell them you're "hurting" but it will get him off your back AND allow them to complete their investigation.

 

[commentator]

I heartily agree. There is no official reason they needed to have more evidence before they let this guy go if they want to, unless you are some sort of civil service employee or you have a union which he can appeal to. So you wouldn't be solely responsible for getting him fired if you tell them about your problem with him, which they already know about.

But really, if something happens, and you say nothing, (whether you're deeply hurt and or frightened or not) and then later something happens with this same person and others, they get a complaint, and they investigate, why do you think you don't have the duty to tell the truth and help them with the investigation? "I don't want to get involved" or "I don't want to rat anybody out" is not really being a good and helpful employee. Your refusal to cooperate with the investigation, though your co worker has reported what you told them, is not going to be helpful to you.

In an at-will state, your employer can fire you for any reason at any time. Refusing to cooperate with a departmental investigation is a pretty good reason why they could fire you. It's quite legal. And you can't turn it around or stop it by saying your supervisor is now harassing you. Hint, he's not illegally harassing you, even if he's trying to talk to you and persuade you to cooperate in a sort of dumb way. Go talk to HR, then move on.

 

[wablue33]

Thank you for your advice. I have given HR and mgmt my side of the story and it's up to them now to handle it.

I heartily agree. There is no official reason they needed to have more evidence before they let this guy go if they want to, unless you are some sort of civil service employee or you have a union which he can appeal to. So you wouldn't be solely responsible for getting him fired if you tell them about your problem with him, which they already know about.

But really, if something happens, and you say nothing, (whether you're deeply hurt and or frightened or not) and then later something happens with this same person and others, they get a complaint, and they investigate, why do you think you don't have the duty to tell the truth and help them with the investigation? "I don't want to get involved" or "I don't want to rat anybody out" is not really being a good and helpful employee. Your refusal to cooperate with the investigation, though your co worker has reported what you told them, is not going to be helpful to you.

In an at-will state, your employer can fire you for any reason at any time. Refusing to cooperate with a departmental investigation is a pretty good reason why they could fire you. It's quite legal. And you can't turn it around or stop it by saying your supervisor is now harassing you. Hint, he's not illegally harassing you, even if he's trying to talk to you and persuade you to cooperate in a sort of dumb way. Go talk to HR, then move on.