Post by EmilieMadison on Jul 25, 2012 13:22:14 GMT -5
I think you need to set up your work email to automatically forward emails to a personal email account. And start emailing with your new boss about this. PAPER (er...epaper?) trail. This is UNACCEPTABLE. It wasn't a misunderstanding and it hasn't been taken care of. But I would immediately start communicating with new boss via email.
Is it possible this guy got onto your computer and deleted the emails? If not him then someone else? Who knows your password?
I'd would get on the phone with HR IMMEDIATELY and tell them what's going on. Your second call should be to your boss. This is no time to back down and wait and see what else happens.
Good luck. You can do this! Now get off of here and call them!
Post by underwaterrhymes on Jul 25, 2012 13:27:33 GMT -5
This is what I would do:
1) Document. Write down everything you can remember and get as close as you can for the dates. If you replied to any of his emails that he sent you, check your sent file to see if they are there. Make copies of the napkin. Get all of this stuff together over the next day or so. And ditto some of the other ideas with regard to getting those deleted emails back. They are on your computer somewhere.
2) Also, contact a lawyer. Since your office has proven that they are incapable of handling this appropriately, they have waived their rights to avoid a legal battle. You have spoken to the guy; you have spoken to your boss; you have spoken to your other boss. This is completely unacceptable.
Seriously. Take action now. I've had something similar happen to me before and I didn't do nearly enough to halt it and I regret it. Dude was an asshole.
Did you check your sent messages and your trash? Any chance IT missed a folder? What about your blackberry? Any chance something stayed there?
Nada. I had one folder named "Assmunch's Name", and that was what I first noticed was gone. Sent and Trashed are gone too, as is any email I wrote that happened to use his name (ie, an email to my biffle talking about another guy who happens to have Assmunch's same first name.)
you aren't being aggressive enough. you are in the right here, you deserve a safe and non-weird work environment. if someone tells you it has been taken care of and it has not, you don't just go 'OK' and continue on. you have some good strategies offered here by others.
for one, i would have reported it (to anyone who would listen) that emails were swiped off of my pc. that is a punishable offence in most office environments. fuck, call IT (or email them) and get them to recover the emails. what are they going to say? no?
i agree that you should escalate this with HR and consider getting a lawyer if you think that will get better results.
either way, good luck and document everything!
Thank you for the tough love. I know I haven't been aggressive enough. I'm a people pleaser, and this has totally gotten fucked up.
Did you tell your new boss that it was more than a "misunderstanding" and that NOTHING has been taken care of?
I did, but at the time, assmunch was leaving me alone. I haven't said anything to bossman in the 3/4 weeks since it's been going on again.
Email new boss and BCC your personal email account. Tell him that when you spoke on x date regarding salesguy's harrassment you were under the impression it had been dealt with and would not happen again. Since then the following has occurred: - type out list of EVERY time he walked by and tried to look up your skirt, the napkin, the unwanted massage, anything
Now is where i'd need someone with more knowledge then me on how to end the email - ask him what will be done? ask for a meeting? (if you get one I would type a summary after and email to whoever was there and again, bcc your personal email) or something else?
This is not to dishearten you, but a lot of workplace harassment suits are dismissed because it's not documented enough, there's not enough of a history to prove much, etc etc.
But what you have is some serious fuckery. And you have a real shot of doing some damage. Not only blatant harrassment, but the company is trying to cover it up? Not only HR and IT, but your idiot VP bosses?! Serious, serious shit will go down. In a good way. Stay strong and stick to your guns. Document everything, write down every conversation you've had with your superiors about this. If you have emails to back it up still, print and save those... they'll have the dates handy to keep a good time frame.
*not a lawyer. lol. Used to work in HR and went to a shitton of seminars and training re: sexual harrassment
you aren't being aggressive enough. you are in the right here, you deserve a safe and non-weird work environment. if someone tells you it has been taken care of and it has not, you don't just go 'OK' and continue on. you have some good strategies offered here by others.
for one, i would have reported it (to anyone who would listen) that emails were swiped off of my pc. that is a punishable offence in most office environments. fuck, call IT (or email them) and get them to recover the emails. what are they going to say? no?
i agree that you should escalate this with HR and consider getting a lawyer if you think that will get better results.
either way, good luck and document everything!
Thank you for the tough love. I know I haven't been aggressive enough. I'm a people pleaser, and this has totally gotten fucked up.
It's definitely gotten fucked up. But regardless of what you should have done earlier, that doesnt make you GUILTY of what's happened/happening. Even if you did dress like a whore, even if you didnt follow through with reporting, even if whatever- none of that is an excuse for someone else to sexually harass you, nor for your boss to sweep it under the rug. You are 100% in the right here, and reminding yourself of that might help you move forward with what needs to be done now.
Did you check your sent messages and your trash? Any chance IT missed a folder? What about your blackberry? Any chance something stayed there?
Nada. I had one folder named "Assmunch's Name", and that was what I first noticed was gone. Sent and Trashed are gone too, as is any email I wrote that happened to use his name (ie, an email to my biffle talking about another guy who happens to have Assmunch's same first name.)
I don't get work email on my phone
Did you try recovering your deleted items?
If not, a lawyer can make them recover things from the server.
Who removed the emails? See if IT will recover them for you.
Yes, do this. Alternately, do they know you have none of the emails? If not, you could always hire a hacker to get them, although (as I am sure you know) it's very illegal.
Email new boss and BCC your personal email account. Tell him that when you spoke on x date regarding salesguy's harrassment you were under the impression it had been dealt with and would not happen again. Since then the following has occurred: - type out list of EVERY time he walked by and tried to look up your skirt, the napkin, the unwanted massage, anything
Now is where i'd need someone with more knowledge then me on how to end the email - ask him what will be done? ask for a meeting? (if you get one I would type a summary after and email to whoever was there and again, bcc your personal email) or something else?
can you copy HR as well on this?
end it with: tell me how you plan to address by X date.
if you get some sort of weird pushback, call an attorney ASAP. but don't tell them that (yet).
This is a great idea. I'm going to call an attorney anyways when I get home. Today just pushed me directly over the edge of being pissed off to straight up disgusted.
Post by cahabalily on Jul 25, 2012 13:40:25 GMT -5
My aunt's hardrive was wiped in the middle of a sexual harassment laesuit. Her lawyers subpoenad everything, and she recently turned down a seven figure settlement to drive it to court. You can beat this. Good luck.
Thank you for the tough love. I know I haven't been aggressive enough. I'm a people pleaser, and this has totally gotten fucked up.
It's definitely gotten fucked up. But regardless of what you should have done earlier, that doesnt make you GUILTY of what's happened/happening. Even if you did dress like a whore, even if you didnt follow through with reporting, even if whatever- none of that is an excuse for someone else to sexually harass you, nor for your boss to sweep it under the rug. You are 100% in the right here, and reminding yourself of that might help you move forward with what needs to be done now.
1. What emilie said. 2. Have you called an attorney yet?? 3. If not, stop posting here and call someone RIGHT NOW!
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
Is it possible this guy got onto your computer and deleted the emails? If not him then someone else? Who knows your password?
I'd would get on the phone with HR IMMEDIATELY and tell them what's going on. Your second call should be to your boss. This is no time to back down and wait and see what else happens.
Good luck. You can do this! Now get off of here and call them!
I lock my computer when I leave my office (force of habit after working in PCI Compliance). The only way for this to have been wiped is for them to have done it remotely.
Holy crap! I'd do as said above, start documenting everything you can remember. Since the company has shown they're trying to cover up, I'd go to a lawyer first for advice. You might(?) be advised to not go to HR yet until you can get some more proof. (again, I have no idea, just throwing this out there). I wish DH and I were closer to you, as he could recover the info for you.
Boston - if you feel comfortable enough to PM me the name of your company, I may be able to tell you what backup capabilities your company has. And, ditto what Elle said - you want to get on this NOW so they can halt deletion/"loss" of backup tapes.
Post by bostonrunnah on Jul 25, 2012 13:44:32 GMT -5
Ugh, guys - what do I do first? Email HR/ boss? Call the head legal counsel for the company? Call a lawyer? Kick this dude in the nuts if he walks by again? Maybe I should go home "sick" or something.
It's definitely gotten fucked up. But regardless of what you should have done earlier, that doesnt make you GUILTY of what's happened/happening. Even if you did dress like a whore, even if you didnt follow through with reporting, even if whatever- none of that is an excuse for someone else to sexually harass you, nor for your boss to sweep it under the rug. You are 100% in the right here, and reminding yourself of that might help you move forward with what needs to be done now.
1. What emilie said. 2. Have you called an attorney yet?? 3. If not, stop posting here and call someone RIGHT NOW!
yes please this. I work in IT and we back up everything but only back up X amount of days of email due to space/money. The faster you get on this the better chance you can of ensuring access to those emails.
2) Email the General Counsel (my nickel says Legal knows nothing about what has happened here and will lose their shit once they hear it. At least, that's how it would go in my company.)
3) Call a lawyer.
In that order.
Oh! And bring ex-lax brownies for the douchecake harasser.
Ugh, guys - what do I do first? Email HR/ boss? Call the head legal counsel for the company? Call a lawyer? Kick this dude in the nuts if he walks by again? Maybe I should go home "sick" or something.
FIRST, call an attorney who isnt representing your employer. You need your own lawyer. I would consider leaving early to do this RIGHT NOW. The attorney should be able to help you figure out your next step. But for now, you need someone on YOUR side who will fight for you.