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Worker says UPS ‘ignored harassment’
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090210/COLUMN01/902100548
T** smile***** said it took him “a very long time” to decide to file a complaint against a UPS supervisor who he says sexually harassed him.
“It got to the point where I just couldn’t take it anymore,” said Mr. smile***, a package handler at the Shrewsbury warehouse. “I had had enough.”
Later this month, five years after he reported his complaint to UPS management, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination will hear a case in which a veteran Teamster accuses his male supervisor of sexually propositioning him. Mr. smile******** said he took his case to MCAD after UPS investigated the alleged harassment and did nothing.
“UPS sends out these policies of zero tolerance of sexual harassment, but it apparently doesn’t apply to everyone,” Mr. smile******** said. “If I or any Teamster said what he said, we’d be fired and escorted out of the building.”
The “he” in this case is UPS supervisor R*** friend*, who still works in the same position.
In his complaint, Mr. smile******** claims that Mr. friend* engaged in a long pattern of sexual harassment and sexual abuse at the warehouse, and that his misconduct was condoned by his manager, Ronald Draper. The complaint alleges that Mr. D***** was present when Mr. friend* used sexually inappropriate language.
Mr. smile******** also claims that UPS took no disciplinary action against Mr. friend* and that the company ignores its own sexual harassment policy, allowing sexual misconduct to “run rampant” at UPS.
Mr. smile********i, 41, a married father from Oxford, has worked at UPS since 1986. In an interview yesterday, he said that Mr. friend* repeatedly made sexually inappropriate comments to him and other employees throughout 2004. One time, Mr. friend* complimented Mr. smile********’s posterior and crudely proposed a related sexual act, Mr. SS********** said. Another time, Mr. friend* rubbed a piece of paper against his posterior and threw it at Mr. smile********, he said. He said his supervisor has repeatedly made sexually suggestive comments to both men and women, has called male employees “******s” and regularly touched people in a sexual manner.
“Although it offended and distressed me, I did not complain for several months because I was afraid of retaliation by UPS management, which has a history of punishing employees who complain about work conditions,” he wrote in his MCAD complaint. “Eventually, Mr. friend*’s unrelenting sexual misconduct left me no choice but to complain.”
On Dec. 16, 2004, Mr. smile******** was interviewed by a UPS staffer from human resources. A month later, he said, he was told “that the conduct by Mr. friend* was not sexual harassment, that the file was closed, and that Mr. friend* was told to stop the conduct.”
Since filing the complaint, he said, he’s been retaliated against — by being forced to take entire days off rather than the two or three hours a week he requests to take his wife to doctor’s appointments. He said he’s also afraid he’ll lose his job.
“Mr. friend*’s conduct was humiliating and belittling, and higher management’s responses to my complaints made the situation worse,” he said.
Mr. friend* declined to comment yesterday. Likewise, M****, human resources manager for the district, would say only that UPS “continues to work very closely” with MCAD but that the company doesn’t comment on matters in litigation.
Mr. smile******** filed the MCAD complaint in March 2005. The MCAD found probable cause and a hearing is set for Feb. 23. It will likely last about four days. Mr. smile******** said he wants the alleged misconduct to stop. He will also seek damages and attorney’s fees.
Mr. smile******** said he doesn’t know if UPS managers would have treated his complaint differently if he were a woman, but said he believes they considered it a “joke.” He said he has witnesses willing to testify on his behalf, and that many of his co-workers support him.
“Obviously I feel very uncomfortable, but the people I work with say they’re proud of me,” Mr. smile******** said. “My motivation is for the company to treat everyone fairly.”
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090210/COLUMN01/902100548
T** smile***** said it took him “a very long time” to decide to file a complaint against a UPS supervisor who he says sexually harassed him.
“It got to the point where I just couldn’t take it anymore,” said Mr. smile***, a package handler at the Shrewsbury warehouse. “I had had enough.”
Later this month, five years after he reported his complaint to UPS management, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination will hear a case in which a veteran Teamster accuses his male supervisor of sexually propositioning him. Mr. smile******** said he took his case to MCAD after UPS investigated the alleged harassment and did nothing.
“UPS sends out these policies of zero tolerance of sexual harassment, but it apparently doesn’t apply to everyone,” Mr. smile******** said. “If I or any Teamster said what he said, we’d be fired and escorted out of the building.”
The “he” in this case is UPS supervisor R*** friend*, who still works in the same position.
In his complaint, Mr. smile******** claims that Mr. friend* engaged in a long pattern of sexual harassment and sexual abuse at the warehouse, and that his misconduct was condoned by his manager, Ronald Draper. The complaint alleges that Mr. D***** was present when Mr. friend* used sexually inappropriate language.
Mr. smile******** also claims that UPS took no disciplinary action against Mr. friend* and that the company ignores its own sexual harassment policy, allowing sexual misconduct to “run rampant” at UPS.
Mr. smile********i, 41, a married father from Oxford, has worked at UPS since 1986. In an interview yesterday, he said that Mr. friend* repeatedly made sexually inappropriate comments to him and other employees throughout 2004. One time, Mr. friend* complimented Mr. smile********’s posterior and crudely proposed a related sexual act, Mr. SS********** said. Another time, Mr. friend* rubbed a piece of paper against his posterior and threw it at Mr. smile********, he said. He said his supervisor has repeatedly made sexually suggestive comments to both men and women, has called male employees “******s” and regularly touched people in a sexual manner.
“Although it offended and distressed me, I did not complain for several months because I was afraid of retaliation by UPS management, which has a history of punishing employees who complain about work conditions,” he wrote in his MCAD complaint. “Eventually, Mr. friend*’s unrelenting sexual misconduct left me no choice but to complain.”
On Dec. 16, 2004, Mr. smile******** was interviewed by a UPS staffer from human resources. A month later, he said, he was told “that the conduct by Mr. friend* was not sexual harassment, that the file was closed, and that Mr. friend* was told to stop the conduct.”
Since filing the complaint, he said, he’s been retaliated against — by being forced to take entire days off rather than the two or three hours a week he requests to take his wife to doctor’s appointments. He said he’s also afraid he’ll lose his job.
“Mr. friend*’s conduct was humiliating and belittling, and higher management’s responses to my complaints made the situation worse,” he said.
Mr. friend* declined to comment yesterday. Likewise, M****, human resources manager for the district, would say only that UPS “continues to work very closely” with MCAD but that the company doesn’t comment on matters in litigation.
Mr. smile******** filed the MCAD complaint in March 2005. The MCAD found probable cause and a hearing is set for Feb. 23. It will likely last about four days. Mr. smile******** said he wants the alleged misconduct to stop. He will also seek damages and attorney’s fees.
Mr. smile******** said he doesn’t know if UPS managers would have treated his complaint differently if he were a woman, but said he believes they considered it a “joke.” He said he has witnesses willing to testify on his behalf, and that many of his co-workers support him.
“Obviously I feel very uncomfortable, but the people I work with say they’re proud of me,” Mr. smile******** said. “My motivation is for the company to treat everyone fairly.”
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