Read the case study, Jane’s Dilemma. Jack is not an employee of Baxter Group, th
ID: 423135 • Letter: R
Question
Read the case study, Jane’s Dilemma. Jack is not an employee of Baxter Group, thus does Baxter need to deal with this? Explain what law applies and discuss what Jane should do, what her manager should do, the risks involved and how to mitigate the risk for the company.
Case Study #1 - Jane’s Dilemma
“Last night I had dinner with one of my biggest clients and after dinner, Jack, the VP of Marketing for ABC Company said he would walk me to my car.
“And then, well, he just lunged at me.”
“He did what?” Mary asked incredulously.
“He lunged at me,” Jane replied. “One minute we’re talking and the next minute he lunges toward me, like he was going to kiss me. I just couldn’t believe it.”
“Wow.” There was silence on the phone line.
“Yeah, wow,” Jane repeated. “Now what do I do?”
Jane was a Major Account Representative for Baxter Group, a consulting firm based in Chicago. Her good friend Mary was an investment banker. They went to graduate school together and had kept in touch, often seeking advice and support from each other regarding their careers.
“So then what happened, after he lunged at you?” Mary asked.
“I pushed him aside, jumped in my car and left. I still can’t believe Jack Stewart would pull a stunt like this. I’ve worked so hard on this account. Talk about the things they never teach you in graduate school!”
What am I going to do, Jane pondered. Should I try to smooth things over with Jack? Should I tell my boss, Mike? He might have me taken off the client’s account: this is a really large account with a lot of potential for many years of business. And if I’m “moved” to another client, there goes my commission and my bonus—and not just this years. I’ve killed myself for the last two years earning credibility as a top sales representative.
Jane’s dilemma is that, whether she likes it or not, she must confront the issues. She has suffered unacceptable behavior, and, as a result, she believes that her account may be at risk. And, Jane is also concerned about the larger social issues her problem raises - the difficulty for women to succeed in their careers. So what should she do?
There can be zero tolerance in today’s business environment for the type of conduct exhibited by Jack. Sexual harassment is unlawful. Jane may choose to deal with Jack herself or she may choose to ignore it. However, by ignoring the situation, Jane may be encouraging Jack to try this again with her or with others. Another option is to formally document and report the incident to both her company and the client company.
Explanation / Answer
Sexual harassment is indeed unlawful and unacceptable behaviour. The harassment can come from supervisor, a co-worker, someone in the same company, but in a different department or even a client/customer who is a non-employee (as it is in Jane’s case).
No matter what, Jane has to confront the issue. I understand that she has worked so diligently over years in order to gain credibility. She doesn’t want to get moved to another client as she would lose her commission and bonus. Jack (her client and her abuser) showed signs of sexual behaviour towards Jane. Now, I believe that such behaviour at workplace causes stress, anxiety, depression to the individual. Jane would feel like she cannot trust the people she works with and may dread going to work. I believe Jane should take up the following steps to stop the bullying:
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