Zero tolerance

"friend" is someone who had no problem spilling out their emotions and saying what is going on with their life, family, etc...somebody when asked if they were cool if I prayed for them they said sure...
 

ORLY!?!

Master Loader
OMG, hugging? I hug everyone, if I creep them out, never seen it. If they dont like it they would nicely tell me? If the mood moves me, I hug, grab a shoulder, knock up against them. Good Lord, we are emotional human beings. A world without hugging? Give me a break. It disturbs me, to see life being clinicalized.

I wish to agree. We all grew through evolution where small and sometimes large groups were common place. Comforting each other was a must to get by the day by day stress.

Nowadays, we get the liberal hippy bullcrap pull on us all day in and day out. Where you cant touch someone, cant make jokes and / or all of the above. Someone is always looking for a pay out. 10,000 bucks sounds good now, yet forgets the million they could earn in 30 years.

Its just the slack jaw type of crap taught to our kids now. They taught it to me, and will forever teach it, on and on.

Next time, try not to touch anyone. I would loved to be touched by a female driver. But is it worth your job when someone gets the grand plan to ace out with a few grand with a single touch. Sure, it sounds weak, but thats the days we live in. Worthless, ethics-less garbage looking for a pay out and perhaps even your job.
 

Jackburton

Gone Fish'n
"friend" is someone who had no problem spilling out their emotions and saying what is going on with their life, family, etc...somebody when asked if they were cool if I prayed for them they said sure...

Sorry you're going through this, sounds like this person would need to admit to management they felt uncomfortable in order for them to do anything. The third party simply reporting they saw you hug this person isn't going to bring down the hellfire.
 

Ms.PacMan

Well-Known Member
eshbucknut,
Unless there's more to this story, most likely the person you hugged would've had to write a written statement against you in order to elevate this to termination. Over the years, we've had many instances of witnesses reporting harassment, and typically the company will not proceed unless the person being harassed agrees to write a statement.
Didn't you just call me dense for saying the exact thing - that his "friend" was probably the complainant? We don't agree on the reason she chose to go to mgmt instead of telling him directly but we agree it would have to be her complaining.
 
I guess my only question that remains...if I am able to produce some facebook chatter, to prove that we did have a mutual friendship, or something to that extent, do I have a fighting chance? My family thinks I should lawyer up but isn't that why I pay $50 a month to the Union Hall? Are these types of terminations overturned? Everything was mutual, conversations at break, her telling me her financial and marital woes etc. I always just wanted to be a listener and an encourager, not once was a word (uncomfortable) used or else I would've backed the heck away from day 1
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
Didn't you just call me dense for saying the exact thing - that his "friend" was probably the complainant? We don't agree on the reason she chose to go to mgmt instead of telling him directly but we agree it would have to be her complaining.

It definitely seems the OP is aware the "friend" is the complainant, although there's some lingering denial. I've said this before and I'll say it again: many of the PTers I work with -- and by many I mean many ... not all, not most ... just many -- are uneducated, low-intelligence people who get their rocks off by starting crap.
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
I guess my only question that remains...if I am able to produce some facebook chatter, to prove that we did have a mutual friendship, or something to that extent, do I have a fighting chance? My family thinks I should lawyer up but isn't that why I pay $50 a month to the Union Hall? Are these types of terminations overturned? Everything was mutual, conversations at break, her telling me her financial and marital woes etc. I always just wanted to be a listener and an encourager, not once was a word (uncomfortable) used or else I would've backed the heck away from day 1

Eshbucknut,
As I wrote earlier, if there's no smoking gun and you don't have a history of this type of behavior, you'll get your job back (as a PTer) - most likely at your local hearing. You don't need to lawyer up, but you do need to be discussing this with your business agent. He/she will help guide you through the process and prepare you for your hearing.
 

konsole

Well-Known Member
If you are friends with the person you hugged, then why wouldnt they stand up for you and call out the person that complained? Its just not adding up. Did you force the hug or was your friend welcoming of the hug?
 
If this was just a "hey there" kind of hug and you were never asked to not do it before then this complaint is without merit and you should get your job back and could possible push for back pay.

If however you've been told not to and can't keep your hands to yourself ,well thats another matter.
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
If this was just a "hey there" kind of hug and you were never asked to not do it before then this complaint is without merit and you should get your job back and could possible push for back pay.

If however you've been told not to and can't keep your hands to yourself ,well thats another matter.

Hugs are considered sexual harassment only when they're part of a package of unwanted attention. Chances are the girl wrote a laundry list of unwanted attention the OP's given her, which lead to his termination. Even if the OP is able to establish a friendship, it'll be dang near impossible for him to refute her allegations, which would lead to the "charges" being found unwarranted & a check cut for back pay. She'll likely insist she's maintained a "let's just be friends" attitude, but the OP wanted more and crossed a line. Even if the OP says "hey wait, this is BS, I'm gay" ... she's a women and she'll win, that's all that matters.
 

Gazelle

Race me!
Perhaps it was a stupervisor that put it threw. If so, even if they are the poorest of the poor, they will always look out for and believe anything "they" say to each other.

It is every UPS employee's responsibility to ensure a harassment free workplace. A few months back we had to PCM the sexual harassment policy over an incident that occurred. A male hourly would tell sexually explicit stories to a female supervisor. She never spoke up and another hourly over heard his comments and decided to speak up. The hourly was fired, but eventually got his job back. He fought that she never told him what he was doing was wrong.

All of our supervisors had to get retrained on our sexual harassment policy. We watched videos, filled out a booklet, answered questions. HR basically told us if that hourly decided to sue, UPS wouldn't back the female supervisor. She would have been fully liable, because she did not follow the sexual harassment policy.

I've had a few occurrences where I've fell uncomfortable, and all happened with no witnesses. I told the person at the time that their actions were inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them. Also that if it happens again, I will go to HR and report it. These people have stayed away from me, I feel that I got my point across.

However, if I asked them to stop and they wouldn't, I would definitely report it.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
I get that you should report any harassment. The problem is no one can have any fun anymore if we live by certain people's puritan values.
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
It is every UPS employee's responsibility to ensure a harassment free workplace. A few months back we had to PCM the sexual harassment policy over an incident that occurred. A male hourly would tell sexually explicit stories to a female supervisor. She never spoke up and another hourly over heard his comments and decided to speak up. The hourly was fired, but eventually got his job back. He fought that she never told him what he was doing was wrong.

All of our supervisors had to get retrained on our sexual harassment policy. We watched videos, filled out a booklet, answered questions. HR basically told us if that hourly decided to sue, UPS wouldn't back the female supervisor. She would have been fully liable, because she did not follow the sexual harassment policy.

I've had a few occurrences where I've fell uncomfortable, and all happened with no witnesses. I told the person at the time that their actions were inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them. Also that if it happens again, I will go to HR and report it. These people have stayed away from me, I feel that I got my point across.

However, if I asked them to stop and they wouldn't, I would definitely report it.

That's not quite accurate. If two people are having a mutual conversation, and a third party overhears it and gets offended, it's sexual harassment. It's also sexual harassment if you repeat something. If I tell you I had sex with 100 women, and you spread that fact around, per law I'm being sexually harassesd.
 

Bagels

Family Leave Fridays!!!
I get that you should report any harassment. The problem is no one can have any fun anymore if we live by certain people's puritan values.

You can thank women for that. I'm not, nor have I ever been, a good-looking person. While I most certainly do not have the expectation that women should be attracted to me, it's always amazed me how often they'll complain if I give them a compliment ('How was Florida? I like your tan.') yet giggle in delight if a good-looking stranger inapproperately touches them. People should accept compliments, not create a filter of who they're acceptable from.
 
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