The Trends of Organized Nudism

- Ram Bheenaveni *

Nudism came from the reaction to taboos imposed by repressive and obscurant laws, and is evident proof of mankind’s need to live according to a moral code based on common sense and reason. To propose a doctrine that allows mankind to enjoy the benefits of nature peacefully in “reasonable well-being” (Epicurus), represents the secular balance that frees man from the hatred generated by the conflict of the two eternal antagonists, good and evil.

Most people who have considered social nudity are apprehensive about their first experience of it. One may be a person who has skinny dipped, may be at home in a private pool, or perhaps with others as a kid. Maybe one sleep as nude. We all bathe nude. The notion of not getting dressed when one get up, or leave the bathroom, it does to us! Being without clothes is truly being. One can feel alive and aware of his own environment in a way not otherwise possible – especially when outdoors. In mixed company anyone also soon realize that simply being nude with others is not of itself a sexual activity.

Nudist Philosophy:

Many naturists consider social nudity to be no more than a leisure activity. However, radical nudists see it as part of a wider philosophy of life and part of the struggle to achieve a freer society. If you want to refresh the parts that the average naturist barbecue cannot reach take a look at this essay:

Historical Accounts of Nudism:

One could have traced nudism or naturism to Adam and Eve, but their covering themselves in “shame” spoils it all. The true first votaries of nudism were really the Greeks and Romans around 1300 BC when Greek students exercised and were educated in the nude and athletes played naked in early Olympics. From here on things worsened to a wider extend that in the Victorian ear even legs of pianos and chairs were covered so they would not arouse sexual interest. In the Indian context, the Digambara sect of Jainism was practiced the nudism because of the plea of natural living. However, chronologically it has sunken in the time of decay.

In many of the alternative communities established in Britain in the early 1900′s nudism, anarchism, vegetarianism and free love were accepted as part of a politically radical way of life. In the 1920′s the inhabitants of the anarchist community at Whiteway, near Stroud in Gloucestershire, shocked the conservative residents of the area with their shameless nudity. History repeated itself during the emergence of hippie communities in the 1960′s in Europe and the USA. In every era social nudity has been seen as a challenge to the established order in society.

The events of the 1960′s and early 1970′s proved the efficacy of this strategy. From successful union struggles in the workplace to victories for personal freedom in the wider community, the strategy of direct action was seen to work. On both sides of the barricades no one doubted that personal choices of lifestyle and sexuality were political issues. A widespread re-emergence of feminist ideas forced women and men to rethink and re-negotiate their relationships.

As a part of reconciliation of the idea of naturism in the mid 1990′s several nudist clubs were started and so many people were joined the ‘organized’ naturist movement. From participant point of view, by the radical nudism they felt it would meet some fellow spirits, or at very least a circle of intelligent, liberal, open-minded people. The general tone of CCBN literature and the fact that the organization lacked a democratic constitution should have sent alarm bells ringing. It also reveals that their first encounter with ‘organized’ nudism was while swims of a CCBN where it found a preponderance of males but not the females.

People winced at the homophobia and range of conservative prejudices on display. There was little evidence that this weekly, clandestine, social nudity encouraged the development of any real friendships outside the confines of the leisure centre. It did little to break down the social isolation of the naturist and certainly did nothing to influence ideas in the outside community.

In principle the idea of a primitive back-to-nature, naturist commune was very attractive and fitted very well with our ideas of the organized nudist tradition. People regretted the fact that nudists had chosen to hide behind the euphemism of ‘naturist’ but some were very happy to enjoy the nature in naturism.

Nudism as Grabbing Tool:

Now, a new wrinkle of protest has been emerged by the exhibiting of body without the clothes. Recently, a woman in Rajkot stripped to protest against dowry demands, she got instant attention. Nudity is bound to get you eyeballs – not just in India, but also anywhere in the world. What changes is the attitude towards the naked body. Most high profile, organized international groups take advantage of this attention – grabbing tool and get people to droop for causes they expose. Firstly, the PETA, which ropes in celebrities such as Pamela Anderbell, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell to pose on billboard to grab the world attention.

The northeast women protested nakedly to reveal the concern about the rape victim by the Indian army, this issues was drawn the great attention of the media in the traditional country. Nudist protests have ranged form anti Bush-in – Iraq campaigns to female prisoners in Johannersburg disrobing to show displeasure at being shifted to another prison. Mexican farmers going to topless to naked protestors in Spain against the annual ritual of bull-chasing. The Queen of England too wasn’t spared, as nude activist protested use of bearskin to make hats for her Palace guards.

Naturism and Global Warming:

Naturists have traditionally sought the sun by flying to other countries with more favorable climates. However, it is now time to consider the consequences of air travel on climate change. This growing awareness should make all of us consider the scope for naturism in Britain and, hopefully, lead to a renaissance of naturist holidays and facilities in Britain. Imagine if all those naturists who in recent years have taken their holidays in other countries suddenly stripped off on British beaches!

In the contemporary era, in the radical political community the rightward swing in politics from the last two decades has taken its toll of political imagination. Whilst proclaiming sexual liberation and a theoretical approval of social nudity many activists and participants, left high and dry by the temporary receding tide of radicalism, have confined themselves to social campaigns more acceptable to the middle ground. Social nudity has been taken off the agenda except as a ‘shock’ tactic to persuade a cynical media to report environmental, animal welfare campaigns and protest against the rapes and sexual assaults of women.

However, just like the swim, the membership was again very conservative. The ageing old guard can generally be characterized by their middle-class snobbishness, hostility to radical nudism, paranoia about being tainted with sex, and lack of interest in changing the climate of opinion in society at large. Again we were amazed that people who enjoy something as apparently radical as social nudity should be so conservative in every other aspect of their lives.

Nudist’s Clubs:

The beach of Nudists Situated some 28 kilometres far from Heraklion at the East and very close to Limenas Chersonissou, this beach too is nothing more but an even rocky area with sand here and there. Open to the North, it is affected by the northern winds. Due to the rocky seabed it is very good for snorkelling.

The beach is not organised at all; accommodation food and drink can be found at the nearby tourist resort of Limenas Chersonissou. No facilities for swimming or sunbathing are available; here you will enjoy only the natural environment and the crystal clear sea. This beach is the only spot all over Chersonissos were nudism is allowed. However, don’t expect to be isolated; the beach is very close to the road, with several people passing by.

Conclusion:

Lately nudism, which is the phenomenon of people enjoying the liberations of being naked with each other, has a large number of takers. There is no sexuality involved in this; it is all about celebrating the human body. Exhibitionism on the other hand, has sexual connotations and derives pleasure fro an audience. An extreme form of this is flashing which is exposing oneself indecently in an is tempt to shock or traumatize someone. As opposed to this, streaking is the “non-sexual act of taking off one’s clothes and running through the public places. Interesting, how the same act arouse such different emotions in varying context.

However, deviant behaviors subsequently changes as the institutionalized behaviour. This is the best illustration for the post-modern context that people with irrational and flexible in their attitude and practice, the rejections of meta-narratives like religious and moral values, the deconstruction that is they are dismantle the existed and established norms and finally too much of liberalization of freedom is pre-requisite to the modern man, which should accomplish the tremendous amount of physical and sadist egotistical pleasure.

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What justifies a “hostile workplace” in California?

While being disciplined(written up) at work today, the discussion between myself and my manager got rather heated. He then offered to “pay me to find a new job” which I declined. If this doesn’t qualify as a hostile workplace…what would?

Answer
This would be a he said she said situation. Do you have any documented incidents with HR? Hostile can be defined however you want. Are you trying to line up a lawsuit or just get unemployment? If a lawsuit I wouldn’t waste my time but if you’re trying to quit and get unemployment then just quit. Tell them you are quitting because you have another job lined up. Then wait a day or two and call the unemployment office and tell them the new job opening fell through. They will not question what the company name is or any other type of information. My friend is a case worker at our local unemployment office so I have experience in dealing with unemployment claims

We’ve all felt anger at some time or another – we all know how it is. There are times when you fly into a great rage and others when a small annoyance will make you feel angry and cause you to flare up. When you are angry, your instincts cause you to react with immediate aggression and to ignore how to control your anger. This is a normal, natural response that has deep roots in your physical make up, a legacy from mankind’s pre-historic origins when instinctive anger produced the powerful, aggressive feelings that were needed to fight attackers and preserve survival.

In today’s world, when you feel angry the origins of your anger can often come from within you. When you worry about nagging, persistent, personal problems and feel unable to find solutions to them, you feel a great anger surging within you. Or you may feel an internal rage derived from memories of childhood traumas or abuse that gives rise to an anger that you don’t know how to control.

It’s perfectly normal for you to get angry, just as long as you know how to control your anger. If you don’t, your anger will get you into a great deal of trouble. If you are unable to control your anger in the workplace, you can lose your job. If you don’t know how to control your anger in your relationships with others – with your family, with your friends or with your partner in life – as well as causing them much pain and grief, soon you will find yourself alone and isolated.

Perhaps the worst aspect of not knowing how to control your anger is that it leads to your anger feeding upon itself. The more trouble your anger causes you, the angrier you become. And when you get angrier, the more trouble you get into, on and on in a destructive spiral. In the end, your uncontrolled anger will cause you to crash because the rules and laws of acceptable social behavior will not allow you to express your anger in whatever way you want. But there are dangers if you do not find a way to express your anger, but keep it bottled up inside you, because it can cause you such health problems as heart trouble, high blood pressure, hypertension and/or chronic depression.

On the other hand, when you don’t know how to control your anger and how to express it in a healthy acceptable manner, but keep it suppressed inside, you turn into an unlikable sneaky person. You are aggressive towards people in indirect ways, such as underhandedly getting back at them, always criticizing or putting them down, always ready with snide remarks, resentful, cynical and deprecating of others. With such character traits you are unable to form relationships with others, which causes you to be alone and bitter, feeding even more your suppressed anger in another spiral without end.

When you know how to control your anger, you are able to deal with it by means of conscious effort and by unconscious reactions that you have trained yourself to have. You are able to express assertively and forcibly but not aggressively the anger you feel. You can say plainly what your feelings are and what you require of others, without being hostile and demanding.

If you don’t know how to control your anger, it will be obvious to you. You will be aware of frequent occasions when you are out of control, at times to a frightening extent. Whereas in the opposite case of suppressed anger, it can be that you feel bitter and angry inside, resentful and hostile towards other people, with a perpetual grievance against all and everyone, always trying to get back at others. Whatever may be your situation, if your anger is out of control either through outward aggressive behavior or from constant inward rage at the world, on the Internet you can get effective modern teaching from professional counselors on how to control your anger through http://onlinetherapies.blogspot.com

William Grigsby, a retired multinational corp. executive, is now a consultant and writer.

Take back control and put an end to your hostile workplace this very moment, get Work Laws Exposed right now. You can’t alter a situation you don’t like and don’t deserve without having an open mind, investing in yourself, and taking action.

Hostile Workplace (in Colorado)?

What would be considered a hostile work place? Currently there are several things I suspect would be considered hostile but am not certain: Work-related emails are deleted without being read, resulting in my not being able to do my job. Reporting to management has resulted in nothing. I am restricted from internet use though no one else is. I am the only person not allowed to have my personal cell phone on during the work day. The boss told me he thinks I am “two clicks away from the intelligence of a stone”.

The primary problem I have with this is that I am being singled out even though I have been told other employees are doing the same things, and far more than I ever did- I actually can prove I do more work, and take more calls, than my co-workers, but I am the one who causes all the problems. It is very frustrating.

Can these situations be considered hostile and what would my options be when considering filing suit for hostile workplace?

Thanks.

Answer
I dooubt that you not being what they are hoping for as an employee will pass as a hostile work environment.

Start with the National Labor Relations OFfice.

If an employee engages in serious misconduct, the starting point is to carry out an investigation to establish the facts.  To ensure impartiality, the investigation should be carried out by someone other than a potential disciplining officer.

To gain insight into what’s required of employers, it can be useful to review tribunal decisions. In one case an employment tribunal found that an employee was unfairly dismissed after they had carried out a hurried and incorrect disciplinary procedure.

The employer in this case was GFI Software Ltd, a global computer security software company. Mr. Unlu worked for the company and was based in Staines in the UK.  Following a series of concers culminating in a formal sanction, Mr. Unlu became embroiled in a verbal altercation with a colleague based in Germany, Ms Kemski, on 21st November 2008.  Ms Kemski complained to Mr. Unlu’s manager, Mr. Harvey, and the following day, Mr. Harvey emailed four senior managers setting out his intention ‘to move to the correct conclusion’ quickly and efficiently, bearing in mind that ‘Germany is our top performing region’.  The email included Mr. Wilson, who would have acted as an appeal officer.

At about 8pm on 22nd, Mr. Unlu called Ms Kemski on her mobile phone, allegedly to return a missed call from her number. Ms Kemski said that she had not called him and told her manager that she felt that Mr. Unlu was trying to scare her.

The Head of HR, Ms Trigona, investigated, carrying out enquiries by telephone from Malta. Her notes recorded Ms Kemski’s concern that Mr. Unlu ‘would send someone from the Mafia’; that he had threatened to ‘get his cousins over from Turkey’ to beat up his former manager; and her description of him as a ‘psycho’.  Ms Trigona drafted Ms Kemski’s statement.  She included the allegation about the violent cousins but not the Mafia allegation and the ‘psycho’ description, which meant that Mr. Unlu could not challenge them.

The disciplinary hearing took place in Staines on 27 November 2008.  Mr. Harvey was present and Ms Trigona participated by speakerphone from Malta.  The notes of the meeting did not properly probe and explore what had been said between Mr. Unlu and Ms Kemski.  Mr. Unlu accepted that Ms Kemski had been distressed because he had used the German word ‘verwirrt’ which (as an interpreter explained to the tribunal) can mean either ‘unclear’ or ‘mentally unstable’.  He stated that Ms Kemski had told him that a complaint from her could lead to his dismissal, because he was on a final warning. This was not investigated.  Mr. Unlu was dismissed by Ms Trigona for addressing Ms Kemski ‘in an aggressive, hostile and harassing manner’.  He complained that he had been unfairly dismissed.  The employment tribunal agreed and found that there were a number of flaws in the employer’s process.

Firstly, Ms Trigona had taken more than one role.  She had been involved as friend or advocate to Ms Kemski; she was the investigation officer; she decided whether or not there was a case to answer; she also made the decision to dismiss at the disciplinary hearing.

The second concern was Ms Kemski’s statement.  Mr. Unlu was dismissed on the basis of a statement drafted by Ms Trigona.  Ms Kemski had not seen it.  It had been read to her over the phone in a foreign language.  This was not a reasonable way to handle evidence which could lead to a dismissal.  The tribunal also considered that Ms Trigona had been selective in the way she edited Ms Kemski’s statement.

Thirdly, GFI was aware at the time of the difficulties in the sales team but made no effort to investigate. It did not interview Mr. Erlich, who (at Ms Kemski’s request) had witnessed the second conversation with Mr. Unlu on 21 November.  It did not investigate the ‘silent phone call’, even though Mr. Unlu told the hearing that he could prove from his Blackberry records that he had responded to a call from Ms Kemski.

Ms Trigona did not explore Mr. Unlu’s use of the word ‘verwirrt’, nor the ‘violent cousins’ allegation.  The tribunal considered that she should have investigated:

the context, place and time when it was made;
whether or not it was made seriously; and
why Ms Kemski often went for lunch with Mr Unlu.

Lastly, the tribunal took the view that the investigation took place with unseemly haste. The incident occurred on a Friday and the disciplinary hearing took place the following Thursday.  It concluded that the company knew from an early stage that the outcome would be dismissal, and it wanted to limit damage in a major business area.  Between 21st November and the date of the hearing, Mr. Unlu had to arrange representation, reply to the allegations against him (writing in his third language) and travel to England.  The tribunal observed that a disciplinary meeting at which an employee’s future is at stake has not been conducted fairly where the decision-maker has engaged with the employee purely by telephone. Unlu v GFI Software Ltd [2009]

The Unlu case highlights some common mistakes.  Remember to follow your procedure, keep an open mind and don’t assume that the employee is guilty at the investigation stage; and conduct the investigation in a timely fashion, but not with undue haste.

Kate Russell is the author of How to Get Top Marks in … Tackling Workplace Investigations, publication date 31st March 2011.

Interested in New Roles at Russell HR Consulting? To find out more visit us at http://www.russellhrconsulting.co.uk/index.php/working-with-russell-hr-consulting

Russell HR Consulting provides expert knowledge in the practical application of employment law as well as providing employment law training and HR support services. For more information, visit our website at www.russellhrconsulting.co.uk or call a member of the team on 0845 644 8955.

Russell HR Consulting offers HR services to businesses nationwide, including Buckinghamshire (covering Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Banbury, Northampton, Towcester and surrounding areas), Nottinghamshire (covering Chesterfield, Mansfield, Nottingham, Sheffield, Worksop and surrounding areas) and Hampshire (covering Aldershot, Basingstoke, Reading, Farnborough, Fareham, Portsmouth, Southampton and surrounding areas).

Kate Russell started Russell HR Consulting in 1998 and now divides her time between advising businesses of all sizes on HR issues, and delivering a range of highly practical employment law awareness training to line managers, including a range of public workshops. Her unique combination of legal background, direct line management experience and HR skills, enables Kate to present the stringent requirements of the law balanced against the realities of working life. She is a senior presenter for several companies and a popular public speaker. Kate completed an MA in strategic human resource management in 2004.

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If you were a lawmaker, would you consider workplace bullying to be illegal?

Unfortunately, no laws were made to go against it.

It’s the bullying the causes a hostile work environment. And proving work harassment/bullying is very difficult in court. Being bullied results in health issues such as heart disease, stroke, and long-term stress.

Answer
I would totally make that illegal. I actually dealt with the same issue for over a year at my last job. I even had an investigation opened with HR about it, which basically got nowhere except for retaliation from the bosses. I still have nightmares about that place. No one should have to put up with being treated like that, especially in a professional environment.

ORGANISATIONAL CULTUR CHANGE – INDISPENSABLE CONSTITUENT FOR THE SUCCESS OF EVERY ORGANIASATION

Organizational culture

Organizational culture is an idea in the field ofOrganisational studies and management which describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization.

When people are at work on a daily basis, many of the manifestations of culture become almost invisible. Assessing your organizational culture is a lot like trying to tell someone how to tie their shoes. Once you’ve been tying your own shoes every day for years and years, it is hard to describe the process to another person.

Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people. Culture is the behavior that results when a group arrives at a set of – generally unspoken and unwritten – rules for working together.

Organizational culture grows over time. People are comfortable with the current organizational culture. For people to consider culture change, usually a significant event must occur. An event that rocks their world such as flirting with bankruptcy, a significant loss of sales and customers, or losing a million dollars, might get people’s attention.

When people in an organization realize and recognize that their current organizational culture needs to transform to support the organization’s success and progress, change can occur. But change is not pretty and change is not easy.

Is Organizational culture change possible?

Organizational culture change is possible. Culture change requires understanding, commitment, and tools.

Culture is the environment that surrounds you at work all of the time. Culture is a powerful element that shapes your work enjoyment, your work relationships, and your work processes. But, culture is something that you cannot actually see, except through its physical manifestations in your work place.

In many ways, culture is like personality. In a person, the personality is made up of the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, interests, experiences, upbringing, and habits that create a person’s behavior.

Culture is represented in a group’s:

language, innovation decision making, symbols, stories and legends, and Daily work practices.

Organisational Culture is

is historically rooted everyday practice leads to uniform thinking and behavior guides all decision making socializes  newcomers

Characteristics of organizational culture

An organization’s culture is made up of all of the life experiences each employee brings to the organization. Culture is especially influenced by the organization’s founder, executives, and other managerial staff because of their role in decision making and strategic direction

Changing the organizational culture is the toughest task. The organizational culture was formed over years of interaction between the participants in the organization. Organizational cultures form for a reason. Perhaps the current organizational culture matches the style and comfort zone of the company founder. Culture frequently echoes the prevailing management style. Since managers tend to hire people just like themselves, the established organizational culture is reinforced by new hires.

Culture is Behavior. Culture is learned. Culture is learned Through Interaction. Sub-cultures Form through Rewards People Shape the Culture. Culture is negotiated. Culture is Difficult to Change. Work culture is often interpreted differently by diverse employees. Culture may be strong or weak Ideally, organizational culture supports a positive, productive, environment.

How to Observe Your Current Organizational Culture

You can obtain a picture of your current organizational culture in several ways. To participate in the assessment of your organizational culture, you must: People in every workplace talk about organizational culture, that mysterious word that characterizes a work environment. One of the key questions and assessments, when employers interview a prospective employee, explores whether the candidate is a good “cultural fit.” Culture is difficult to define, but you generally know when you have found an employee who appears to fit your culture. He just ‘feels’ right.

1. Observation of your culture in action.

One way to observe the culture in your organization is to take a walk around the building, and look at some of the physical signs of culture. Like space allocation, offices location, space allocation, Displays on bulletin boards%26 desk checking memos or email, tone of talks (formal or informal, pleasant or hostile, communication with one another etc.

2. Emotion and conflict in the Organization

While interacting with the employees we must see how much emotion is expressed during the interaction.

3. Watch Hangouts, area arrangements

Look at the objects and artifacts that sit on desks and hang on walls. Observe common areas and furniture arrangements

4. Interact with employees

Ask your employee some question to know what is the type of culture they have in their mind and what culture do they expect in the organization

What would you tell a friend about your organization if he or she was about to start working here? What is the one thing you would most like to change about this organization? Who is a hero around here? Why? What is your favorite characteristic that is present in your company? What kinds of people fail in your organization? What is your favorite question to ask a candidate for a job in your company

How the culture evolution to be made:

Culture is a major determinant of an organization’s ability and desire to innovate.  Understanding what your culture is now, and how it needs to evolve, will help map out a way to produce even higher octane levels of performance in your organization, whatever its size may be.

Do employees know your organization’s vision, mission, strategies and objectives clearly How supportive is your  previous culture What are draw backs of the previous culture and why do we need to change it. Are employees being more creative active? Do the organization change frequently How employees focus on problem-solving. How much flexibility do people have in coping with the change Who in the organization typically comes up with ideas? How would you describe the overall communication climate in your organization To what extent does your organization invest in sufficient employee training

Hints for Organizational culture change

1. Find something easy to change first.
2. Build coalitions of supporters.
3. Set targets for incremental completions.
4. Share information/reduce rumors.
5. Define how results will be measured.
6. Reward desired behaviors.

Conclusion:

Organizational culture change is necessary to support almost all organizational change efforts (strategic, structural, or process). Organizational change efforts will fail if organizational culture remains fundamentally the same. The effectiveness of organizational change efforts requires embedding improvement strategies in the organizational culture.

Changes in procedures remain superficial and short-lived unless there are fundamental changes in values, ways of thinking, and approaches to problem solving. The resisting forces will simply renew their efforts to re-establish the old status quo.

DR.P.V. PRABHA,MBA, M.COM,M.PHIL, Ph.D DIRECTOR, RVS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, COIMBATORE.

MRS.R.MANJU SHREE, MBA,M.PHIL,(Ph.D) RESEARCH SCHOLAR(BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY),FACULTY, RVS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, COIMBATORE.

DR.P.V. PRABHA,MBA, M.COM,M.PHIL, Ph.D DIRECTOR, RVS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, COIMBATORE.

MRS.R.MANJU SHREE, MBA,M.PHIL,(Ph.D) RESEARCH SCHOLAR(BHARATHIAR UNIVERSITY),FACULTY, RVS INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, COIMBATORE.

Grasp back control and put an end to your hostile workplace this very moment, grab Work Laws Exposed right now. You can’t alter a position you don’t like and don’t deserve without having an open mind, investing in yourself, and taking action.

Is this Workplace Hostility?

I feel that my workplace is hostile with a gang mentality. I’ve seen this particular group torment various employees until they lashed back and were fired as the victims looked like the aggressors. Here’s yesterday’s scenario: I was at a work function and got a piece of pastry. Two guys walked behind me on their way out the door. I said hello to one of them and I heard the other make loud imitations of a pig. I turned around and looked at the guy who did it, and I heard him say to the other one as he looked at me, “She turned around”. I was quite angry and by the way, he’s fat and I’m thin. Do you think that this constitutes harrassment?

Answer
That would definitely be harrasment. I’d politely ask him to stop next time a similar incident occurs (sometimes people are just trying to kid around and don’t realize how much their behavior hurts) and if the behavior does not stop, or if your not comfortable asking them to stop, then go straight to human resources or your supervisor for support. If human resources fails to resolve the issue then you should really look for a better job where they treat people with basic human dignity. Whatever you do, don’t lash out at the agressors (even if they are super meanies), or it will make you look bad.

Nature of harassment

 

All western countries like the US %26 Europe, as well as many others in the rest of the world, have passed culturally relevant laws to protect victims of intentional workplace harassment by way of discrimination, persecution of an employee on the basis of race, color, religion, origin or gender wherein no employer can cause to suffer harassment of an employee when recruiting, interviewing, promoting, discharging, compensating, etc. If such factors lead to difficulty in performing assigned tasks the employee is justified to feel he or she is working in a hostile environment.

Legal provisions

 

Whenever a situation of such workplace harassment arises, its incidence is evaluated against certain parameters, the totality of which must justify any legally actionable cause of action. However to qualify as harassment from hostile work environment one underlying principle of justice needs to prevail, that of continuity or repetition, and its frequency, severity and pervasiveness, which implies that just one or isolated incidents will  not satisfy the burden of proof of the complainant for attracting legal provisions for protection. Another aspect of the complaint to be considered is whether the management was aware, if not being the cause, of the harassment of the employee, but refused, or ignored to act, in stopping the process. Further, the harassment caused would have to be caused within, or be carried into, the workplace and be of a kind that would be distressing for all others and not only to the victim’s own sensitivity.

Management stand

 

To make the process victim-friendly, currently employers have acknowledged the problem of vulnerability of productivity arising from employees suffering harassment from other employees and have instituted clear harassment recognition parameters along with reporting and evaluating systems that are designed to avoid incidents and entrap offenders. The more enlightened employers have even training programs to assist employees in understanding and accepting diverse foreign cultures and dispelling associated myths within the office environment. Unfortunately there is no scope of raising acceptability levels when it comes to plain prejudice and the ubiquitous drive of the hormones.

Sexual harassment

 

As regards workplace harassment of a sexual character, the nomenclature may differ in place and culture but the universality of the underlying phenomenon prevails. The HR department should be the first point of reference in raising such issues. Crass lewdness and overt innuendo can both amount to harassment and both find credence in the list of offensive behavior, and confrontation can sometimes get immediate and amazing results.  Do not be daunted by the challenge of raising an issue because it is the offender whose behavior is inappropriate, not your confrontation.

Recourse

 

However let nobody forget that in the workplace, reality should form the basis of your actions. Be righteous by all means but do also remember that in history the righteous have suffered. Therefore when actually raising a workplace harassment issue, carefully weigh the seniority and corporate utility aspect of the offender because that would be prudent and, instead of relieving your problems, not add to them.

Stephen Hammond is an expert in the field of workplace harassment resources. He is the author of a number of articles on diversity training, workplace harassment and human rights harassment . He is associated with stephenhammond.ca for the past few years.

Grasp back control and put an end to your hostile workplace this very moment, grab Work Laws Exposed right now. You can’t alter a position you don’t like and don’t warrant without having an open mind, investing in yourself, and taking action.

I have this coworker who makes a hostile workplace….?

We are both supervisors but her job is threatened by me because I do my job correctly. She talks shit about every other employee to everyone. She is loud and takes over all the meeting time so no one else has a chance to speak. She makes people call out sick with migraines and makes the workplace stressful. No one wants to work wit her. She gives coworkers dirty looks and is rude to everyone. What would be the right thing to do? Go to superior and complain of harrassment?

Answer
Document, document, document. Keep a journal and log of everything you witness first hand of her behavior. Then when you have a decent amount of reaccuring themes and practices (i’d say 3-6 months). Go to a superior and just lay down what you have witnessed. It is possible that you won’t be the only one laying down complaints against her, but if you have documented backup that goes a long way.