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Harassment

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mal92

New member
What is the name of your state? Iowa

A temp employee who I do not work directly with, pursued me on Facebook. Eventually the conversation became inappropriate started by the temp employee. I engaged in the conversation but later decided that it was wrong and just ignored her. The temp employee would not stop messaging me. Multiple messages a day. I eventually told them I wasn’t interested. The messages stoped for a few days and then started again. I went to HR. They temp was fired, but claims they are coming after my job. Claiming I didn’t tell them everything. Am I at risk of losing my job?
 


quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? Iowa

A temp employee who I do not work directly with, pursued me on Facebook. Eventually the conversation became inappropriate started by the temp employee. I engaged in the conversation but later decided that it was wrong and just ignored her. The temp employee would not stop messaging me. Multiple messages a day. I eventually told them I wasn’t interested. The messages stoped for a few days and then started again. I went to HR. They temp was fired, but claims they are coming after my job. Claiming I didn’t tell them everything. Am I at risk of losing my job?
Possibly. Employers are not fond of employee drama.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? Iowa

A temp employee who I do not work directly with, pursued me on Facebook. Eventually the conversation became inappropriate started by the temp employee. I engaged in the conversation but later decided that it was wrong and just ignored her. The temp employee would not stop messaging me. Multiple messages a day. I eventually told them I wasn’t interested. The messages stoped for a few days and then started again. I went to HR. They temp was fired, but claims they are coming after my job. Claiming I didn’t tell them everything. Am I at risk of losing my job?
Did you tell HR that you engaged in inappropriate conversation with the temp? Or did you not inform HR of that bit of info?
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Yes, you are at risk of losing your job. I don't know how great the risk is since I don't know your HR people. But you are ALWAYS at risk of losing your job when you engage in inappropriate conversation in the workplace or with workplace-related others. It might come to nothing, you might be fired, or anything in between - no way for us to tell. But to answer your next question, yes, if you are fired, it will be a legal firing.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
I think it might be a very tough call to choose between, "Yes, you reported it, but you were behaving inappropriately and we're taking action for that" and "we don't want to hear about any sexual harassment so we're firing you". Your point is noted and appreciated, but I don't think the OP would find it very easy, given this particular fact pattern, to prove illegal retaliation.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I think it might be a very tough call to choose between, "Yes, you reported it, but you were behaving inappropriately and we're taking action for that" and "we don't want to hear about any sexual harassment so we're firing you". Your point is noted and appreciated, but I don't think the OP would find it very easy, given this particular fact pattern, to prove illegal retaliation.
I agree. It sounds like the employees were willing participants in the conversations ... until one decided to claim sexual harassment. Either employee could have made the same claim.

The firing of both employees seems to me to be a reasonable (and seemingly legal) action for the employer to take.
 

mal92

New member
Did you tell HR that you engaged in inappropriate conversation with the temp? Or did you not inform HR of that bit of info?
I didn’t make the complaint about the inappropriate conversation. And yes I told them everything. Our company doesn’t have a policy on office romance. I told the temp that I wasn’t interested. Which to me is enough for the messages to stop. The temp took it further a week later. I didn’t see another choice except to go to HR as the temp said I didn’t acknowledge them at work even though we do not work near or with each other on any level. That comment was threatening to me.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Okay, when and if you lose your job, come back and we can discuss it then, with actual details instead of guesswork. Until or unless you do, though, there's really nothing more to say.
 

Shadowbunny

Queen of the Not-Rights
What is the name of your state? Iowa...... I went to HR. They temp was fired, but claims they are coming after my job. Claiming I didn’t tell them everything. Am I at risk of losing my job?
Your post is a bit confusing. Did the temp say the employer was "coming after your job" or did someone in HR say that. And what is it that HR claims you didn't tell them?
 

commentator

Senior Member
Well. I believe that if the temp was fired, they've probably done all they are going to do. Many people labor under the delusion that if they divulge extra information about a situation, (which they fail to realize would be so easy to make up) they can "get someone fired" but really, it's not that easy or that common.

It was very easy to have the temp fired from her assignment. The company is probably are telling themselves that settled the whole situation. Having the former terminated temp employee call them up and tell them a lot of bad things about what the employee did is probably not going to motivate them to re-open this matter and call in and fire a permanent long term employee.

It will come down to whether or not they really wanted to get rid of the permanent employee otherwise
 

Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
I think it might be a very tough call to choose between, "Yes, you reported it, but you were behaving inappropriately and we're taking action for that" and "we don't want to hear about any sexual harassment so we're firing you". Your point is noted and appreciated, but I don't think the OP would find it very easy, given this particular fact pattern, to prove illegal retaliation.
I didn't say it would be easy or that the OP would have the case to make for illegal retaliation based just on the facts known to us here. But nevertheless I think it's an important distinction for people to be aware of.
 

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