Post by John on Mar 28, 2009 18:28:35 GMT -5
My Case
On Monday, March 23, I came into work at my normal time. I was intercepted by my manager several minutes later. We went down to HR together where I was shown a list of sexually oriented items (which I had given to a work pal several months previously) by an HR manager and asked if I recognized it. I said “Yes.” She then asked if I could see how someone would take offense to it. I said, "Yes, if they are fundamentalist." She asked me 2 or 3 times if I printed it on a work place printer which I denied. She asked if I had other materials like this in my desk. Not wanting to lie, I said that I did. She asked why I brought items to work. I replied, "I like to look at them while on break."
She, my manager and I went upstairs where my desk was searched in full view of other employees. Other sexually oriented material was found along w/ a 'laundry list' type of weekly duties (shopping, exercise, etc) She could see that the fetish/sex items found in the desk were printed in color and could not have been printed on a work place black ink only printer. She asked why the fetish items in my desk were folded up and wrinkled whereas the laundry list was not. I told her I keep the fetish stuff folded up and in a locked in drawer so no one would find it and raise a ruckus. Perhaps most interesting of all, while she only casually glanced at the 'laundry list' (which was printed in black ink and therefore conceivably could have been printed at work), the HR woman took the time to read the entire text of a sexually oriented (but privately kept) one page document that was printed in color ink and therefore could not have been run off using the work printer. (As a side note, I resisted the temptation to comment, "You like that kind of stuff, eh ?")
Aside from a couple of unrelated 'verbal warnings', my work record up to that point had been spotless. My productivity has consistently been among the best, I had accepted without question any assignment given to me, my attendance record is nearly perfect and I have a known track record for helping out other employees (even beyond the scope of my duties) whenever possible. In addition, I had never been a 'troublemaker' in any way and have always gotten along with both my supervisors/managers and co workers.
As a result of this one minor indiscretion that got out of hand, I am now placed on a 'final warning' basis. In other words, if anyone so much as says I looked at them the wrong way in the hall or break room, I can be fired. Given my past record of outstanding work performance and the pettiness of the complaint, I think this is abhorrent and unacceptable! Worse still, the law as it stands right now is almost 100% on the side of the whiners, complainers and troublemakers in the workplace. It is time for this to change.
On Monday, March 23, I came into work at my normal time. I was intercepted by my manager several minutes later. We went down to HR together where I was shown a list of sexually oriented items (which I had given to a work pal several months previously) by an HR manager and asked if I recognized it. I said “Yes.” She then asked if I could see how someone would take offense to it. I said, "Yes, if they are fundamentalist." She asked me 2 or 3 times if I printed it on a work place printer which I denied. She asked if I had other materials like this in my desk. Not wanting to lie, I said that I did. She asked why I brought items to work. I replied, "I like to look at them while on break."
She, my manager and I went upstairs where my desk was searched in full view of other employees. Other sexually oriented material was found along w/ a 'laundry list' type of weekly duties (shopping, exercise, etc) She could see that the fetish/sex items found in the desk were printed in color and could not have been printed on a work place black ink only printer. She asked why the fetish items in my desk were folded up and wrinkled whereas the laundry list was not. I told her I keep the fetish stuff folded up and in a locked in drawer so no one would find it and raise a ruckus. Perhaps most interesting of all, while she only casually glanced at the 'laundry list' (which was printed in black ink and therefore conceivably could have been printed at work), the HR woman took the time to read the entire text of a sexually oriented (but privately kept) one page document that was printed in color ink and therefore could not have been run off using the work printer. (As a side note, I resisted the temptation to comment, "You like that kind of stuff, eh ?")
Aside from a couple of unrelated 'verbal warnings', my work record up to that point had been spotless. My productivity has consistently been among the best, I had accepted without question any assignment given to me, my attendance record is nearly perfect and I have a known track record for helping out other employees (even beyond the scope of my duties) whenever possible. In addition, I had never been a 'troublemaker' in any way and have always gotten along with both my supervisors/managers and co workers.
As a result of this one minor indiscretion that got out of hand, I am now placed on a 'final warning' basis. In other words, if anyone so much as says I looked at them the wrong way in the hall or break room, I can be fired. Given my past record of outstanding work performance and the pettiness of the complaint, I think this is abhorrent and unacceptable! Worse still, the law as it stands right now is almost 100% on the side of the whiners, complainers and troublemakers in the workplace. It is time for this to change.