My daughter slapped a work colleague on the shop floor!

[plastique]

My daughter is distraught, she slapped a colleague at work whilst having playful banter (though they did cross the line), but it was a bit hard, left a mark for 10 mins and colleague is not happy...what should she do??

It was a guy, who's always pushing/shoving/bantering with her at work. He said something unacceptable

This is harrassment, why are people saying it isn't?

bumsexatthebingo

If it was harassment then he needs reporting, hitting someone is not acceptable.

If he's been pushing and shoving her then I do't think it's a leap to say he's been harassing her???

For it have been 'banter' they would both have to have been doing it.

The OPs daughter has seriously crossed a line and to minimise that isn't on really.

What if a male colleague had hit the OPs daughter which had left a mark for 10 minutes. Would that be OK?

She wouldn't report him because it was friendly work banter, though she took it too far.. He said something about her and another male colleague.. there's obs more to it

I thought you were going to say she was a teenager if a part-time job but a graduate messing about at work is pathetic.

Charlie I see you have conveniently left the I assume off the end of that quote.

These are all mainly managers

Even if he has been harassing her, it's not the right response. To be honest if it was where I work both would be up for disciplinary hearings but I would take her account of harassment as mitigation. She'd end up with a final written warning as a minimum. You just don't hit people at work, unless you're a professional boxer.

**WITH a part time job , not if.

Of course it's not acceptable. But it wasn't acceptable when the other guy was doing it either whether it was reported or not. Like I said they should both be disciplined.

Whatever was said to your DD she was the one who crossed the line. Hopefully she'll learn that there are ways of dealing with colleagues that don't end up with her being in the shit.

Was what he said of a sexual nature op? And how old is your dd?

What actually happened?

I assume that the whole of the "banter" was of a sexual nature.

DONT SHOOT FROM THE HIP!! Why is everybody saying she should resign. The comment "they did cross the line" makes me think theres more to it. Have management become involved? No resignation for the time being in my view. She needs to sit down with the colleague and discuss the matter and of course apologise Should the matter be reported to the police and your daughter is contacted by them requesting an interview please ENSURE that your daughter instructs a criminal solicitor to represent her. The service is completely free and subject to what some people think the police do not think you are guilty for using one. Good luck

Physical contact like this is a dismissal offence

If he has been doing something wrong then he may also be up for dismissal

But his action will not neutralise her action

It sounds like they were already way past the line when the slap occurred. The fact that she hit him does not minimise what was said to her, and vice versa. They should both be disciplined.

She's a graduate? If what was said was inappropriate she should have reported him. It's not acceptable for her to assault someone. If the culture is for them to act like silly buggers then she has a decision to make, join in and risk losing her job/ getting a shit reference or act like a professional.

Well to be fair Piglet punctuation is everything and the sentence in question is lacking any, so we can't tell if 'I assume' goes with the first half or the second. I would tend to assume that he said something bad enough to make her lose her professionalism, and that otherwise she wouldn't have done it. We don't know, but on that basis I would discipline them both.

I really really doubt that she will be arrested or charged with assault. It sounds like six of one and half a dozen of another. I would expect maybe a verbal or written warning if the guy goes to his line manager. If he was pushing and shoving her beforehand, it really is not the same as an unprovoked violent attack. She could technically allege that those pushes and shoves were assaults too and that his comment abut her and a colleague were sexual harassment. She should not resign unless it becomes obvious that she will be dismissed.

Hopefully though, this will blow over relatively quickly. She should definitely speak to him in person and apologise next shift though. Is it the case that he fancies her and is jealous that there might be something going on between her and the other guy?

CharlieSierra

So you would discipline them both on the word of one person that has hit someone so hard that it left a mark on the face?

So, what actually happened?

How the fuck do you have "playful banter" that turns into slapping someone?

She should be fired. That's horrendous behaviour.

Well I would sack her for gross misconduct and he would be on a serious warning. Banter or fooling around is fine, pushing etc not and slapping unacceptable. I manage a group if 16-21 year olds and none of them behave so awfully, they all know where the line is. Are they not mature enough to act like adults in the work place op? They sound like a pair if toddlers!