Sexual Harassment by Customer Employee
HRVolley
28 Posts
I am an HR Professional for a mid-sized company that provides courier services for local businesses and I am a first time poster to the forum.
One of our couriers has reported that she is being sexually harassed by an employee of one of our customers, of whom she delivers to on a daily basis. The customer's employee apparently flicks a pen on the chest of our employee. Our employee is typically carrying boxes as she is delivering throughout the customer facility, and their employee apparently flicks her chest with a pen as she passes him. This has been happening for the past few months. She apparently does not encounter this individual every day, but when she does he gives her a quick flick of the pen!
I would like to ensure that the situation is addressed quickly and appropriately by our customer. What steps can I take to make sure that the customer understands the seriousness of this accusation and handles it appropriately? And what type of documentation can I request from them as follow-up?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
HRVolley
One of our couriers has reported that she is being sexually harassed by an employee of one of our customers, of whom she delivers to on a daily basis. The customer's employee apparently flicks a pen on the chest of our employee. Our employee is typically carrying boxes as she is delivering throughout the customer facility, and their employee apparently flicks her chest with a pen as she passes him. This has been happening for the past few months. She apparently does not encounter this individual every day, but when she does he gives her a quick flick of the pen!
I would like to ensure that the situation is addressed quickly and appropriately by our customer. What steps can I take to make sure that the customer understands the seriousness of this accusation and handles it appropriately? And what type of documentation can I request from them as follow-up?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
HRVolley
Comments
You have a serious problem which I have never seen addressed here before. I am by no means an expert, but I will get the responses started and we will see what other contributions will then be made.
The first thing you must do is stop all deliveries to your client. You have a legal obligation to protect your employee, and it must come first. Your client will then need to conduct an investigation. (I would probably also do a little investigating of my own, and get the client involved if possible.) You should request your employee to cooperate fully with the investigation of the client. However, if she is more comfortable, I would have someone appropriate from your organization there with her while she is being interviewed.
Assuming the investigation goes the way you expect it to, your client, especially the employee, owes your employee a sincere apology. I don't know if you can really expect one though. You CAN expect something in writing from your client after the investigation assuring you that appropriate steps have been taken. You really cannot ask for more than that as they also have a legal obligation to their employee.
If, and only if, you and your employee are fully satisfied with the outcome you can then continue your business relationship. Continuing the relationship is a risk, so be careful.
Good luck!
Nae
I believe that if this is inplace then contact the customer company and so inform them that you will not accept there business if this individual is involved in our relationship!
To do nothing is a wrong approach!
PORK
If she doesn't feel comfortable doing that, I would call the correct person in the company, report the incident and ask that the tapping stop. Tell her to let you know immediately if it does not stop or if anything else happens. Document everything you did. I'm going to guess that it stops.
So, I recommend discussing the situation with your customer contact.
Our customer is also a large organization that I would hope has strict policies as well.
The Transportation Mgr. has arranged for another courier to deliver to this customer until this situation has been resolved. I am planning on calling our contact with this customer, but I am waiting for our courier to return from her route so that I can obtain her statement.
HRVolley
Otherwise, I would think that contacting this idiot's supervisor would resolve things.
The only thing I would add would be to tell your employee to let you know if the harasser gives her dirty looks, ignores her, or makes derogatory comments towards her as retribution.
To make matters worse, I contacted the customer to report this situation, and apparently this employee is contracted through another company, and our customer is not their employer or manager. What a headache!
HRVolley
So far, the customer has been apologetic and concerned for the welfare of our employee (from what I can tell), and claims they are pushing the contractor to investigate and to contact me as soon as possible with their plan of action.
If I don't here something by the end of today, I'll be back on the phone hollering!
Thanks for all of the help!
HRVolley
>route your employee works considered better than
>others in anyway?.
That is an excellent question, and yes our couriers do have routes that they prefer, to others. And, when I expressed my thoughts that she should be removed from the route until the situation has been resolved, she was thankful. She did not want to encounter this individual anymore.
HRVolley
PORK