Office Quandries
Peter Rachleff
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PUNCHING OUT page 1 of 2 | |||||
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Weekly Answers to Office Quandries |
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Professor Peter Rachleff |
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 Sometimes people from my
office go out after work for drinks. And sometimes the our boss comes
along. He's an okay guy for the most part, but when he gets a few drinks in
him, he's very lewd and even touches his female employees (including me)
inappropriately. I feel like I can't say anything because it happens after
hours and out of the office. Do laws about harassment apply even when
you're not at work?
Minneapolis, MN
You need to discuss this among yourselves. Have a social gathering -- without the boss -- and discuss his exploits and how they make you all feel. Let the anger flow. Then suggest that you all pledge never to give him the opportunity to treat you this way again. You don't need to confront him directly if you don't want to. Just turn down all invitations he might make to join him after work and make sure that none of your co-workers invite him to join you when you're planning to go out. After awhile, he should get the idea. |
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As the Bill Clinton / Paula Jones / Monica Lewinsky / etc. business shows,
laws about sexual harassment do not effectively cover all despicable
behavior. You should look more at what you and your co-workers can control
yourselves. I can understand the desire to socialize after work. It's an
important way to build community and let off steam. But, frankly, I would
draw the line at sharing this precious time with any boss, let alone
one who uses a few drinks as an excuse to engage in harassing behavior. He
has no right to take advantage of you, and is relying as much on his
power over you as he is hiding behind a little alcohol.