The 'me too' movement

[OEP]

[K]

[npalm]

For the record, Guthrie did not say that Milne rubbed her back.
The reporter put it to Guthrie that it had been suggested (by person\s unidentified) that she was complaining about her back being rubbed. Guthrie denied this. She said it was some other form of touching, worse than a back rub. She refused to specify what form the touching took.

Milne denied rubbing her back or otherwise touching her inappropriately.

[think positive]

[David]

I didn't say it's okay (there are plenty of behaviours that are okay in everyday life that might not be acceptable in a professional environment); I was just questioning whether it really belonged in a thread about sexual assault and harassment. Perhaps I spoke too soon, if the facts are as described above.

[K]

But would you generally think rubbing a professional colleague's back (the original assumption of your post) could be sexual harassment?

[David]

Umm... maybe harassment, but not necessarily sexual harassment? Where exactly is the line drawn between a touch and a sexual touch?

[K]

Maybe that is the line, i.e. the line is where "touch" turns to "rub".

(Is this like the AFL hands-in-the-back vs. push-in-the-back debate?)

[stui magpie]

Umm... maybe harassment, but not necessarily sexual harassment? Where exactly is the line drawn between a touch and a sexual touch?

Unwanted attention of a sexual nature. The sexual nature component being in the eye of the beholder and subject to a reasonable person test.

I worked for 10 years in a closed environment with 50 women. I had simple rules for myself.

1. Keep hands to yourself at all times
2. Do not comment on appearance, positive or negative just notice nothing and comment on nothing
3. No socialising unless required by work.

One of my direct reports had an issue with physical contact. I didn't know because I'd never touched her until my boss jokingly promised to give her a massage one time as a potential reward. I saw her facial reaction.

Everyone is different and open communication is key. If someone does something you don't like, just tell them. Discuss it and move forward like adults without needing to get formal or into complaints. If the do it again, then go hard.

[K]

https://www.theage.com.au/business/work ... 50fr2.html

[think positive]

[think positive]

Umm... maybe harassment, but not necessarily sexual harassment? Where exactly is the line drawn between a touch and a sexual touch?

Not too many people are so sensitive they call out a one of touch of a hand to a shoulder, what has gone on previously, innuendo, harassment disguised as jokes?

[David]

^ That's what I was wondering. Does the level of acceptable touch reduce the further you rise up the ranks professionally? (I mean, if a pat or rub on the back constitutes sexual harassment, then it's quite conceivable that I've been a victim of harassment at every job I've ever worked.)

Is Guthrie bringing up a trivial single incident in order to bolster her case against Milne? Or is this a serious case of workplace harassment, and the 'hand on the back' thing is a distraction from what actually happened? I suppose we shall see...

[Skids]

I see ''Baa baa black sheep" is now "Baa baa sheep sheep".

It's just a matter of time before the name of a MANdarine is changed, surely?

[thesoretoothsayer]

Is Guthrie bringing up a trivial single incident in order to bolster her case against Milne? Or is this a serious case of workplace harassment...

Probably guarantees a book deal.