I assumed they just had the laptops and that’s just what they used.
I don’t know. I used to work in a place that was run like a frat house. We drank, both after and at work. Coworkers routinely hooked up with each other. We were regulars at like three Manhattan strip clubs. Our office managers name became synonynous with “your comment is perhaps a violation of corporate harassment policy” to the point that people still invoke it years after she left. And I’m pretty sure senior management routinely has affairs.
The thing is, all this stuff is done more or less on the DL. People don’t go out emblazoned with corporate sweatshirts or draw attention to what they are doing to clients.
My honest opinion? It’s a fucking joke. But because of lawyers and crybabies and insensitive jerks, companies have to spend money dealing with this kind of crap instead of making money.
So basically my advice is that you play the corporate game. You give them the basic “you represent the company and here’s why you shouldn’t do that” speech and that’s that.
So she sat *near *them? Not even *with *them? At a Starbucks? And is claiming a hostile work environment? Because of images similar to ones that were broadcast to billions of people during the Olympics?
That is some serious bullshit. I feel sorry for you that you even had to entertain the question for one second.
I am going to ask you to take your hands off the white lady.
What does legal say (about her claim…not your relationship)? I mean can you basically just tell her “look, this is something unrelated to work that happened out of the office. There isn’t much I can do about it”?
The problem is that the line has become blurred between “work” and “not work”.
His hyperbole is somewhat justified, in my opinion. The country’s fuckedness doesn’t derive from the one woman at one company, but the fact that in our current society, the woman’s claim—which deserves to meet with mocking laughter, at best—has to be taken seriously and treated gingerly, simply to avoid potentially devastating legal and financial repercussions.
Note one: I am henceforth going to refer to “Eowyn” as “Gothmog.” I simply refuse to associate her with the greatest hero of the Battle of Pelennor Fields.*
Note two: Since posting the OP and reading various responses, I have determined to keep myself out of this. I am not Aragorn’s boss, Boromir’s boss, or Gothmog’s boss. I emailed this concern to the Big Boss and said that, while it’s one thing for me to do the come-to-the-river meetings about sexual harassment in general, doing one for two persons specifically, over a specific incident, is a disciplinary function best left to their managers. He emailed me back and agreed, that’s that.
Note three: I really hope this doesn’t end up screwing Aragorn, as I tend to think that Gothmog’s aim is to do just that, and not in the good way.
Note four: I was briefly distracted by my wife and stepdaughter having a spirited argument over C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Being me I had to give my two cents, and when came back I had completely forgotten what point four was. It was brilliant, though. It was like merging Qadgop, Sampiro, Polycarp, & Giraffe into one brilliant poster. I am therefore going to refer to Kim as “Porlock” for the rest of the day, my stepdaughter as Porlock the Sequel.
Note five: I’m not getting into it with legal. As noted upthread, I am keeping my Nubian rear out of it.
Note six: Porlock considers herself a black woman who looks white. Culturally she’s way blacker than me.
*Yeah, that’s right, I said it: EOWYN WAS THE GREATEST HERO OF THE BATTLE OF PELENNOR FIELDS, not that wanker Strider. You got a problem with that, you can meet me over in Cafe Society and we’ll settle it with broadswords. Best bring friends, because when I duel, I cheat.
Were they on company property?
Were they using company property?
If no to both, then the company has very little to say about it.
Sure, you can argue that they’re working on company business, but that can also backfire in that it makes people a lot less interested in doing work on their own time and using their own equipment.
I’d probably go back to E with the above two questions and then ask how this makes the company in any way, shape or form responsible for anything she might be offended by on hers and their own time. Then I would suggest that the company may be on thin ground for pushing a complaint made under these circumstances, and that making such a complaint will pretty much destroy that person’s working relationship with the subject of the complaint.
Oh, yeah, the OP: As presented, Gothmog’s accusation against Boromir is complete and utter bullshit and she should have been told so. It wasn’t his freaking computer and unless he had some kind of remote control in the bathroom, he had no control over when the screen saver came on. To implicate Boromir in this “offense” is a slander* against him and should have been corrected. As for Aragorn, yeah, he should probably be told to be more careful. It’s a senseless restriction on his freedom, but so is having to wear a necktie and millions of men do that every day. If I had the unenviable task of telling him that, I would not mention “men in Speedos” in my speech, I would say something like “scantily clad people,” not just because I want to avoid looking homophobic but I wouldn’t want to imply that Gothmog’s complaint was based in homophobia (even if it was). That’s just asking to be subpoenaed in all sorts of suits and countersuits.
Gut reaction, with no research and freely admitting this is not my practice area, I think claim is bogus. The employer did not require the woman to be at that location. She voluntarily went there for her own purposes, and just happened to get offended by something she saw on a screen saver belonging to a co-worker. Nobody involved was “on the clock”. What she going to bitch about next…seeing the guy wear an offensive t-shirt on his day off?
As to motivation–cynic that I am, I note that the job market sucks. She may be angling for more job security, since the company will be very reluctant to risk a retaliation claim by firing her anytime soon…
You know, Oak, I’m always glad when you post–not merely because you give good info, but because you frequently spot things I completely overlook, as you did in the last sentence above.
Of course behavior like that CAN backfire and she will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes so to speak.
Her combination of easily offended, probable homophobia, and probably a plethora of other socially unacceptable insights, in combination with a quickness to complain and a big mouth should make her an easy target for getting herself in trouble…
It’s sweet that you think homophobia is a handicap here. Not quite as sweet as it would be if you believed in leprechauns, but still a big ole tub of sugar.
Please remember that if you eventually get around to world domination. I’d appreciate an appointment as Overlord of Hedonistic Pursuits, or Secretary of Debauchery…I’m not fussy about titles.
Not now, but some other time–when you’re relaxed and happy and a little bit drunk and totally not expecting it–I will take my revenge upon you for this slender of the greatest shield-maiden of the north. I’m thinking it’ll be ordering about $40,000 worth of pizzas and sending them to your door.
