Is this wrong?

[leisaNE]

A VP and I (Director) had a meeting regarding the organizational changes that were being made as a result of his being promoted to Vice President of IS. We went into a managers office since neither one of us had an office at the time of this meeting. We went into the office and sat down in the two side chairs across from the main desk seat.. He said "Before we start, I have a request." I said "OK.". He said "I need you to button your shirt." I looked down and my shirt did not need to be buttoned so I requested that we switch places so he would not be looking at a side view of my shirt. While we were switching places he said, "Well, you are a very beautiful woman, and I wouldn't want to become distracted." I said, "Thanks, but I really don't look at people at work like that. People at work are business people and I do not view them as male/female, just people at work." He responded, "OK." We proceeded to discuss the organizational changes.

I told our mutual boss (EVP) and he said he would handle it. I requested that it never happen again and told our boss that I did not want to be in meetings with this VP by myself ever again.

Now the VP has been saying derrogatory things about me and his managememt staff purposely excludes my managers in meetings they need to be involved in. He also not taken a single suggestion that I have made regarding our organizational changes.


This happened 3/2/06. I was supposed to be promoted June 1st. Now I am not being promoted because there is a perception that I am better than the rest of the people in the organization and my staff acts the same way. Also as I forward stuff to our boss that I deem misbehavior from the VP, (asking one of my managers direct reports why I don't like him) he states that I need to work it out with this VP and he can't resolve the issue between us. The organization percieves that there is a war going on between the two of us and our organizations, I have requeted specific examples but have received none so far.


Am I crazy, or is this way wrong?? Thus far, HR has not been involved.

THANKS!!

 

[calalily]

There is a problem with the fact that you told the VP basically that you felt his behavior was inappropriate and he said okay, then you reported him; from your post he did not behave in that manner again but is hostile, but so are you. You send reports of all of his behavior to the EVP even minor complaints such as he asked one of your managers why you don't like him. So in some way you are fostering this unpleasant work environment. However, since you were passed over for promotion you should be given a legitimate reason. even if it is that you report minor incidents to the EVP going over the heads of VPs. What you need is some kind of mediation between this VP and yourself and if you approach it this way with HR they may be able to help. Please understand that by going above your EVP's head to HR may make your situation worse. However, nothing illegal appears to have occured, but of course that is impossible to say for sure from a forum post.

 

[leisaNE]

I went to HR

and last Friday was termed with a 3 month severance package if I sign a release of liability for any future claims against the company. They said that even though I was willing to work things out with the VP, that it wasn't going to work out.

I am consulting a lawyer in my area. It seems too much to be true, but I have read that reporting the issue just leads to more trouble. I wonder when the world is going to take this more seriously. When are women who won't put up with this type of behavior going to stop being punnished?

What can be done to bring this to the forefront of women's organizations?

thanks for listening!! l

 

[jfritts]

and last Friday was termed with a 3 month severance package if I sign a release of liability for any future claims against the company. They said that even though I was willing to work things out with the VP, that it wasn't going to work out.

I am consulting a lawyer in my area. It seems too much to be true, but I have read that reporting the issue just leads to more trouble. I wonder when the world is going to take this more seriously. When are women who won't put up with this type of behavior going to stop being punnished?

What can be done to bring this to the forefront of women's organizations?

thanks for listening!! l

I had a very close friend with the same issue in the State of Utah. They were "forced" to sign the document of release of liability but the courts threw it out because the release was signed. We tried to show that it was signed by intemidation but the courts would not accept it.

just an fyi, hope it helps.

-jfritts