I have the following question. There was a VOLUNTARY christmas party for the employees of the store I work at and we were not on the timeclock as attendees. One of the supervisors got drunk, and while joking put his hand on the knee of one of the girls he surpervises. He has now been put on a final notice at work for sexual harassment. Is this legal when the event is not mandatory and non paid?

Thanks

Most companies offer an employee-handbook which outlines protocol, procedures and so on...

Consult with your employee handbook, most often defined the area... Code of Conduct

However, it does not matter that the party was attended upon a voluntary basis, most employment now is considered "at will", Therefore, most employees voluntarily go to work especially if they expect to see revenue in the form of a company-endorsed check.

Hi I agree with Shenda check the employee handbook for guidelines on conduct. I would think if it a party given by the store that you would be required to act in a proper manner. Example(if two employee got fighting at the party they would be subject to being fired) You not on the clock but your at a Job special event.

Below I have listed two links that should be of some help to you. The EEOC which is the second one will be the most help. You can call them and get for free.


Employment Labor Law Sexual Harassment Questions
http://employment-law.freeadvice.com/sexual_harassment/

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Sexual Harassment
http://www.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html

Sexual harassment can happen anywhere. A party, work, no matter where, it's still sexual harassment.

you women want to be equal like us men but as soon as a man makes an advance, you all become women again i say shame on you women that act like that.its natural for men to want to give it to you weakies, after all the man upstairs programed us that way so dont fight it and become like the men you want to be like.please you sad sacks of walking rouge.
Women are "weakies" for standing up to sexual harassment. I really don't think the man upstairs programmed men to sexually harrass women.Women want to be equals on the pay scale and in the job market. By trying to climb the corporate ladder no invited anyone to look up our skirts on the way up. Unwanted sexual advances in the workplace or at a work function is the responsibility of the company who employees the individuals. Like everyone else has said consult your employee hand book and EEOC.

You don't know what you are saying women use sexual harassment to either protect themselves from a guy that doesn't turn her on ,or a way to sue a boss to get money. I know your kind example my friend ask a woman out and during his flirtation touched her on the shoulder and she cried sexual harassment, but I did the same thing to her and she went out with me why because I am a very handsome man really handsome .so you can see my point now, or are you just like the rest of the walking painted,perfumed curved, sexual Goddess who believes in her own powers rather then to except the fact that man is her superior.

you dont know what you are saying women use sexual harassment to either protect themselves from a guy that doesnt turn her on ,or a way to sue a boss to get money. i know your kind example my friend ask a woman out and during his flirtation touched her on the shoulder and she cried sexual harassment, but i did the same exact thing to her and she went out with me why because i am a very handsome man realy handsome .so you can see my point now, or are you just like the rest of the walking painted,perfumed curved, sexual Goddess who believes in her own powers rather then to except the fact that man is her superior.
Let's get one thing straight men are not superior.. give birth then we'll talk. Sexual harassment is truly a problem. While in some instances it may be a ploy.. I don't think we can blanketly generalize that all women trying to avoid the water cooler troll file sexual harassment charges. How do you know he just puts his hand on her shoulder... maybe he said lewd things as he was doing it... maybe he made her feel uncomfortable.. maybe yourself proclaimed attractive self is a peer to this lady and the troll is her superior and put her job in question. Just as your situation may not have been sexual harassment that does release the company from taking action about the allegations made.

You tell him, sista! He should learn to type, too! What a jerk!

Sexual harassment could happen anywhere, and from the sounds of it packert115, you sound like one of the so called "men" that promote this. I think that in a voluntary/involuntary event held from an employer should be respected as if you were in the workplace. Having a couple of drinks and deciding to put the moves on a fellow co-worker, whether it be a male or female, shouldn't be of any excuse. Drinking is not an excuse, it's a habit. And sexual harassment is a big issue. So, put your pants on straight and quit trying to make people out for something they're not. :mad:

This is an old post, but I have something to say to the man who thinks that men are our superior - WRONG! I have been supervisor of both men and women, and believe me women can also harrass. But when men start having the impression of superiority there is something lacking in their upbringing, seriously wrong. The only ones who make such statements are walking around with such an ego, but have no self-confidence in any relationship, either personal or in the workplace and have not learned anything about respect... It must be such a burden to carry around to feel threatened by us. IF you feel you need a few drinks to 'communicate' with us, that just proves my point. The world is made up of all kinds and personally it is very interesting to sit back and watch such men as you 'stumble' into bars and feel superior.


Let's get one thing straight men are not superior.. give birth then we'll talk. Sexual harrassment is truly a problem. While in some instances it may be a ploy.. I don't think we can blanketly generalize that all women trying to avoid the water cooler troll file sexual harrassment charges. How do you know he just puts his hand on her shoulder... maybe he said lewd things as he was doing it... maybe he made her feel uncomfortable.. maybe yourself proclaimed attractive self is a peer to this lady and the troll is her superior and put her job in question. Just as your situation may not have been sexual harrasment that does release the company from taking action about the allegations made.

Anyone who is going to come on a HELP forum and cruelly bash gender, race or creed has some serious issues. This is a help forum for people who are looking for answers, shame on you for using it as a tool to bash woman and generalize us as manipulative,why should all woman pay for some woman wrongly do in the workplace. You are entitled to your opinon but do you honestly believe that every woman out there is just waiting for a man to make some sort of gesture and cry sexual harassment? Despite what you believe, there are men in the workplace who use their power to do this, and nine times out of ten its unwanted. It doesn't matter how attractive you are, Its anyone's right, woman or man to feel uncomfortable if an advance has been made. I think the oppropriate thing to do is to tell the person you are uncomfortable and the gestures are unwanted, if that person cannot respect you and stop what they are doing then, yes I beieve that is sexual harassment. Anyone who thinks that its not or that the woman(or man) "should give into it" is probably guilty of harassing someone themselves. Do you have a sister, daughter, wife, girlfriend? What if this was happening to them? You can't say that you wouldn't be upset that some slimeball was making some nasty comments to them. I think you would rethink a lot of the things you said here on this forum. But then again you sound like one of those slime balls yourself and maybe wouldn't give a damn given your outright disrespect for woman. What,did your mommy not hold you enough as a child? Next time your should take your anger somewhere else and not a help forum. Just my opinion.

... just another thought, most woman have plenty of other things to do than to sit around at work and hope that a man shows them attention or awaits for some sort of advance to make them feel valued. It is flattering when someone pays you a compliment Male or female, but it doesn't define how I do my job or the quality of my work. That is what makes me feel valued, Lets just get that straight! Im not ultafeminist but I have to defend my girls.

ATTAGIRL Hanabelle, you rock (using Alisa's phrase). I'll also go as far as to say that if a man's girlfriend or sister is a victim of such as himself, he would probably beat the 'you know what' out of them and then go on with his life.. not learning a bit.

Thanks Chery,
We girls got to stick together. Im totally againts either gender using sexual harassment for personal gain. I wouldn't call myself a feminist, but it really pisses me off when you have someone talk about your gender as if its something to be a shamed of, and the only way to ever accomplish something in your life is to spread your legs for the first willing man. Are we still in the dark ages? I thought we were making some progress in equality, its jerks like that that sets it all back. But unfortunately he's not the only one who has this poor attitude of woman.

How true. But have you realized that our own 'sisters' can sometimes do more damage through just plain envy of those of us who achieve through our ability and intelligence, but they 'can't cut the mustard' so they conspire against their own kind and they can be real 'witches' with a capital 'B'to gain those 'browny points'. I'm pretty sure that those type are just the right prey for men who can't respect us for what we are really capable of. :cool:

Your absoulutely right Chery. I know woman have a bigger problem with jealousy than men do especially if one woman has a lot of confidence in what she does and another doesn't. It seems like instead of really trying your best at the job some woman take the easy way out and use the sex ploy especially if it's a male in authority. And its woman like that that also sets us back. So you have the woman who is busting her to do a good job and the other who can't cut the mustard and using sex as a way to get ahead. Your right, :mad: I hate to say it but woman like that will be used by men because they are an easy target and they will be the same woman who when the little fling with the boss is over with will cry sexual harassment.

Im no expert on sexual harassment but I have seen similar situations in my prior workplace and Its screwed up!

Yup, us and another 1/2 million women all over the world. I used to look like a 'barbie doll' and the guys tried to put me in 'that category' but I showed them different and felt proud that I had brains too, not just boobs.

Good for you! Im glad you didn't end up like those woman who had all the looks but hid the brains. Its good for woman that they prove that they are more than just beauty. Its funny how when men are the really good looking ones and they use they're sexuallity and everyone thinks its charming but when it's a woman she's considered as a slut, which is wrong and a double standard but woman have to work extra hard to prove themselves as being just as smart and intelligent as a man and by using sex as leverage doesn't exactly scream "look at me Take me seriously." :rolleyes:

You are right we do have to work etra hard. Always have since women/men began - to begin with childbearing and ending who knows where.. But somehow we are always able to. Can't say the same for some men I know, and once they do have to prove themselves, they get all stressed out and drink and pick fights and/or look for other scapegoats to blame for their problems. Wonder why they can't admitt that they are just as human and it's OK to have a cry now and then instead of being aggressive from the start. That to me is a show of weakness. My step-dad once had kidney stones, and passed them. They were so large that he fainted. The next day he told mom he thinks he knows now how it feels when a woman gives birth. -Close but no cigar, as he didn't have to carry the stones for 9 months and still do all the regular work. Just an example. Ta Ta for now, Chery

I am a male supervisor, and I agree with you completely. Most companies have policies covering this . They should be followed. Let us not forget, that sexual harrasement can take on many forms, by male Or female co workers...