The Issue of Inappropriate Touching of Female Employees

How I would handle the situation 

The issue of inappropriate touching of female employees is a severe and sensitive matter. It borders sexual assault as well as gender-based violence. Although the excitement regarding the successful switching of the system could have influenced his regrettable behavior, matters of sexual exploitation are usually sensitive and must be handled seriously (Western, 2013). Consequently, I would take strict measures to deter the recurrence of such incidents in the future. This is because what Mike did amounts to sexual assault and exploitation. Consequently, I could have taken a raft of steps to punish Mike for touching Tammy inappropriately and against her wish. First, I would commence the investigations straight away to get accurate information about what transpired.  

After finding the truth about what happened, I would suspend Mike from the company for a period of one year as per the company’s human resource policies. This is because sexual assault and gender-based violence amount to gross misconduct (Chappell & Martino, 2006). The one-year suspension would attract no pay, and it would also serve as the very last warning for Mike. Mike’s exceptional performance is the only factor that would convince the company to give him one last chance. However, engaging in such a mistake for another time would lead to the termination of Mike. Suspending Mike would show the other employees about the company’s seriousness to protect women from assault and gender-based violence at the place of work. Gender-based violence is a serious issue that organizations must eliminate from their workplace. As posited by Condrey (2010), i t is the responsibility of the human resource and top leadership of companies to safeguard the safety of all employees, to ensure that both male and female employees feel safe. 

At the same time, I would talk to Tammy about the incident and empathize with her. According to Western (2013), issues touching on gender-based violence and sexual assault at the place of work may lead to depression. Consequently, I would direct a counselor to take Tammy through counseling. This would enable Tammy to come to terms and heal from the incidence. 

How I would handle the director and CEO 

I would inform the director and the CEO about what transpired between Tammy and Mike. Moreover, I would inform the two leaders about the actions that I have taken as the head human resource, including the reasons that formed my decision to suspend Mike. For instance, I would inform the CEO and the director about Mike’s exceptional performance at the company and unique skills. I would explain to the two leaders how Mike’s unique value to the company influenced my decision to suspend him for one year, and also to give him another last chance to change his behavior. Additionally, Mike could have been overexcited about the significant success that he and his team had in successfully installing the new system. Nonetheless, the company had to stand with its policy and commitment to protecting all its employees against sexual assault and gender-based violence at the place of work. At the same time, the company considered the fact that Tammy had warned Mike previously about touching her. This shows that Mike knew that Tammy would be offended by his actions, but he still went ahead to hug her against her wish. 

How I would handle tammy’s husband 

I would invite Tammy’s husband to visit the company’s premises so that I explain to him how the company has responded to the issue. This is because cases of sexual assault are usually very sensitive (Taket & Crisp, 2017). First and foremost, I would express how sorry we are about the unfortunate events that happened to his wife. Empathizing with him would slow down tempers and stabilize his emotions. As such, empathizing with Tammy’s husband would help in creating a favorable atmosphere for discussing the issues. After that, I would explain to him the company’s firm policy against sexual assault and gender-based violence at the place of work.  

References 

Chappell, D. & Martino, V.D. (2006). Violence at work . Geneva: International Labor Office. Top of Form 

Condrey, S. E. (2010). Handbook of human resource management in government . Bottom of Form 

Taket, A. & Crisp, B.R. (2017). Eliminating gender based violence . New York: Taylor & Francis. 

Western, D. (2013). Gender- based violence and depression in women: a feminist group work response . New York: Springer.