Is this Sexual Harassment ?

It would be if I had done it I am also a member of a cost center. As such, I always push my organization to ensure we are excellent service providers to our partners and internal customers.

 

I would hope there is more to the story as in more being said before or after his comment as I cant see her flipping her lid over that. However, people today are pretty money hungry bastards looking for a way for more money for doing less work. All I see on T.V. now a days is lawyers advertise how they can get you the "money you deserve". Bunch of crooked bastards in this world.

 

I'd guess there is more to the story than you're aware of. It's unlikely that a large employer would take that type of action based on your understanding of what happened. They are aware of the implications from an unemployment insurance and wrongful termination perspective. 9/10 times a decision like this is made with intent to limit the company's exposure to risk (liability). They made the decision that it was less risky to term your direct report versus keeping him on. Based on how you described the situation it's unlikely that they would have made that decision, so there's probably more to it.

 

Dunno your experience in the corporate world my friend but there is no "fight it". The accuser wins. Period, end of story. Particularly if the accuser is female and the accused is male. Don't even waste your breath. Best case scenario is a move to another location. They would rather fire or move people than risk a lawsuit. Had this drilled into my head from my first day in the corporate machine. Saw it happen to more than one good guy.

Example: A woman walked past a manager and her skirt was halfway hiked up, just from static. In a gentlemanly way the fellow pointed it out to her, she thanked him for it. He was shitcanned that same week because she said it made her uncomfortable. Yeah it sucks but this is the world we live in.

PS: I'm willing to bet the OP's guy indeed only asked a simple question. All it takes is for her to say she was "uncomfortable". Done deal.

 

I don't find anything about definition of menopause sexually harrassing. He was probably calling her a bitch.

 

I think he's touched a nerve with someone that works in a profit center that doesn't like to follow policy.

You may be like me in my position. I get stuck between the two, the cost centers and the profits centers because I have to wear hats for both. Each side looks to me as their complaint center.

 

I'm glad I don't work for a company like that.

 

"You're in good hands"

 

The line is where we all stop being pussies. Pretty soon all the guys will all grow vaginas and are equally offended by that simple question.
You have to be afraid to give a girl an umbrella because you are implying shes wet.
That pharmacist was probably pissed cause she hadnt had a stiff one for too long or she just broke up with her girlfriend. Either way a counter suit for loss of employee productivity and restaffing is in order.
Now if the the guy said some more harsh crap before and after that would possibly warrant some sensitivity training. As you can see from above I have had mine.

 

20 years ago I worked in a manufacturing environment. One day in the break room I was sitting with a group of fellow male supervisors. At some point during the conversation I used the word penis in a clinical fashion while discussing a surgical procedure one of the older supervisors was getting. Sitting at the next table was an HR lackie. Next day I got called into the HR Managers office along with my boss and was written up for sexual harassment. I asked her which parts of the human anatomy were off limits when having a conversation? She couldn't answer so I started going through a list...."Is vagina ok? What about testicles? Labia. Labia is another good one. How about scrotum?" At this point my boss is laughing so hard he is crying and the HR manager has her head down on the desk and is shaking it back and forth (she knew it was a BS charge but since the HR "lackie" was the daughter of one of the company VPs she had to do something.) In the end they tore up the complaint, told Ms Stuffy Shirt I had been dealt with, and the whole matter was dismissed. If that happened today I would have gotten fired.

 

Now way. I'm all cost center.

 

Sooo..... You have a job opening......

(kidding) ---- (not really)----


He must have caught the pharmacist at a really bad time...............

 

They no longer insure anything I own and I would not work for them anyway.

 

So I go into work and the boss says, "John, sales over the last year are just not what we expected so either Merideth or Jack will have to be let go tomorrow. We will give them an excellent severance. So decide which one it is." I tell the boss, "that sucks, they are both good but the economy is tanked. Jack has 3 kids but Merideth is a more organized person and still working hard to sell product."

The next morning Merideth makes it in first so I call her into my office. I told her, "I have to lay you or Jack off today." She looks at me and says, "you better just jack off then because I have a headache."

 

He Has a case to get his job back and the person in hr that made the decision, probably a menapausing bitch, needs to be let go. As being in management in a california business we get to take a sexual harassment class every two years. Unless this was ongoing and ther is previous documentation he should not have been fired. As his supervisor you have a right to know since they made you the axe man.

 

God help us.