Workplace Bully - Just one of the guys

Case History III: Gender Bullying - Just One of the Guys

Elise, 32, is the only female on the sales team for a local radio station. Her work is regarded as high quality, and she regularly exceeds her sales quota.

Shortly after she’s named Salesperson of the Month, she arrives at work one morning to find a folder on her desk. Opening it, she finds a computer manipulated photo of herself accepting the award.

In the photo, her head has been placed on the body of a very well-endowed, nude man. Looking up, she notes that the three men who share her office are watching her reactions with barely restrained snickers.

Rather than give them the satisfaction of letting them see that it bothers her, she forces a smile and makes a crack about them being a bunch of real jokers.

A few days later, Elise makes a call to a regular customer, only to be told that he’d given his order to Joe, one of the other salesmen in the office. Apparently, when the customer had called a day or two earlier, Joe had answered the phone and told the man that Elise was out of the office for several days but he’d be happy to take the order for him.

When she confronts Joe, he is puzzled, but smoothly explains that the man must have misunderstood him. Since he’d seemed anxious to get his order for an ad placed, Joe had offered to take care of it for him.

There are numerous other small incidents. The notes that she had made for a sales report to the station management disappear – and the report that Joe turns in quotes the figures and conclusions that she’d reached.

Another morning, she arrives at the office to find her photo screensaver reloaded with hardcore pornographic photos. When she objects, Joe and the others tease her about having lost her sense of humor.

Elise’s Reaction

At first, Elise hopes that the ‘boys’ will get tired of their jokes, but as the weeks go on and it continues, she realizes that the incidents are affecting her work. Her first step is to write a detailed letter to her manager outlining the situation and requesting a meeting to resolve the problem.

Upon reading the list of incidents, the manager points out that she has no proof that Joe stole her notes or intended to steal her client, and that the rest of the incidents are just ‘guys horsing around’.

Elise requests that her manager put his conclusions in writing and provide her with a copy. The manager’s letter is carefully worded, but implies that Elise is blaming her own failures on her coworker. At that point, Elise requests a meeting with the Conflict Resolution department.

The Process

Because of a recent spate of workplace violence, the radio station had recently instituted an anti-violence program. As part of it, the conflict resolution officer had attended a seminar on workplace bullying where she learned about men bullying women and other types of bullying.

Elise’s detailed account, supported by the copies she’d kept of all her correspondence with Joe, including emails, memos and phone messages, provided a clear-cut picture of what was happening.

The CRO met with Joe and Elise, and then called for meetings with her supervisor and company heads.

The Resolution

At the meeting, it was pointed out to Joe that incidents such as the pornographic screensaver could be grounds for a sexual harassment suit against him and the company. He was ordered to cease all actions that could be interpreted as harassment, and placed on disciplinary probation for thirty days.

He was further warned that any further complaint would be cause for dismissal. In addition, Elise’s immediate supervisor was required to attend a seminar on office bullying, and the radio station implemented a zero tolerance for harassment policy.