Legal Question in Employment Law in Minnesota
Is this harrassment?
I've worked for a large company for 7
years & have a very good work &
attendance record. Today I was called
into the Human Resources office & was
written up for ''harassment.'' I was told
that yesterday a co-worker whom I have
worked with for a few years (not closely
or on the same projects but enough
that we are not strangers and cross
paths several times a week) came in and
made a complaint about an incident
that happen 2 weeks ago. This co-
worker is pregnant & when I noticed
how large the otherwise slim person is
getting I said, ''Hi chubby, how're you
doing?'' indicating her belly. She
responded that everything was going
well. A short time later I saw her in the
break room eating cookies & I jested
that now I knew how she was getting so
big. That was all that was said & we
went our own ways. She now says that
she was very offended that I called her
''chubby'' & it made her feel
uncomfortable coming to work. I was
told that she is in a ''protected'' class
being pregant & whether my jests were
seemingly harmless, I could be taken to
court simply because she says it made
her uncomfortable. Is this joke gone
bad really a harrassment case?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Is this harrassment?
Check your calendar: IT's 2006. Your comments may have been tolerated in the 1970's, but these days it would likely be considered contributing to a hostile work environment. Were you docked or disciplined? If not, just chalk it up to experience and say hello to the Politically Correct era of humorlessness in the workplace.
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