Reference no: EM131531836

Question: A branch manager in a retail outlet was forced to resign after revealing that the regional manager had sexually assaulted two women employees. The regional manager was allowed to leave. The whistleblower was later disciplined on ‘bogus grounds' and subsequently felt he had to resign. However, he eventually took his case to an employment tribunal and won a substantial award in compensation. The regional manager was prosecuted for indecent assault and jailed. Though one can only speculate on the complex reality underlying such a case, it seems barely credible that: the sexual offences were not treated more seriously by the company; the whistleblower was in a vulnerable position as a result of his actions; retaliatory action was taken by the company. Many less recent cases do, however, seem to have this characteristic of a crude, almost tribal,  to colleagues and the organization, even when harm has been done to other colleagues. The sexual nature of the offence may beattitude being taken to any perceived disloyalty significant here, remembering the ambivalent attitudes to sexual harassment at work evident in many organizations.