Legal Question in Employment Law in Massachusetts

Harrassment Complaint

I have been threatened by my boss. I have been told by my direct supervisor that my first priority is to my job and to its meetings, and therefore should reschedule a doctor's appointment I scheduled three months ago. Several people have gone to our executive vice president and complained about my boss. Within the past year, over fifty percent of our groups (~30 people) have quit. She (my boss) makes lewd comments, displays sexual innuendo towards male employees, has commented on the incompetence of other workers in front of people, has told her supervisors to tell their subordinates about circumstances surrounding a co-worker's sudden leaving. This former co-worker has made it clear that she left because of my boss; we were all told that the co-worker (who recently received an out-of-cycle merit raise) was told she needed to improve performance, decided she didn't want to, and quit. Overall, she creates a hostile work environment; I and several others feel impotent to change the situation and feel all possible courses of action have been exhausted. What can I do?


Asked on 6/26/01, 9:51 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
William McLeod McLeod Law Offices, PC

Re: Harrassment Complaint

There is nothing in the law that says an employer has to be nice, considerate or compassionate. In fact, there is nothing preventing a company from running itself into the ground by having people like your boss at the helm. However, as it pertains to you, if your doctor's appointment was for a particular medical condition that might be considered a disability, then the employer may have an obligation to accomodate you by permitting you leave to go to this appointment. Without knowing more about the condition you're going to the doctor for, I cannot elaborate further.

With regard to sexual remarks and innuendos, I would need to know precisely what was being said. For conduct to be considered hostile for a hostile work environment claim, it would need to be considered both subjectively offensive (meaning you found it offensive) or objectively offensive (meaning a reasonable person would also find it offensive).

Read more
Answered on 6/29/01, 6:46 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Labor and Employment Law questions and answers in Massachusetts