Reference no: EM13738917

John and Elaine: Is It Sexual Harassment?

John is a new supervisor of Client Service, a work unit of eleven people. It's his first supervisory position. Elaine, one of the Service Representatives in his unit, finds a note from John or her desk. It says, "I would like to have more than a professional relationship with you. Can we go out sometime soon and get to know each other better?" Elaine has no interest and says nothing to John about the note. John subsequently ceases all personal communication with Elaine. He directs verbal communication through coworkers and begins to make assignments and critique her work through written memos. He calls staff meetings when she is out of the office, so that she does not learn of policy and procedural changes. This results in error, for which she receives written reprimands. She develops migraine headaches and is given 30 days of probation because of attendance and performance problems. She files a complaint of sexual harassment and retaliation with the HRC.

• Is this "quid pro quo" sexual harassment?
• If you were the manager given responsibility for dealing with Elaine's complaint, what would you do first? next? and then?
• How would you conduct an investigation? How would you respond to the HRC complaint?
• What, if any, would be appropriate remedy for Elaine? What, if any, would be appropriate action to take against John?
• If you were Elaine, what would you have done differently?
• What might this organization do to prevent a recurrence of the problem? Each question should be done separately and should be a paragraph in length. The assignment should be double spaced.