To think well done for the RNLI for sacking people with naked women mugs

[jnfrrss]

Totally not acceptable to have naked women mugs at work! I applaud them. Nick Ferrari is raising my blood pressure minimising such behaviour.

I've never worked anywhere where naked women imagery is acceptable, even if they are covering their modesty

I think you are being massively unreasonable. They should have been asked to remove the mugs and warned not to do something like that again at the very most. These men risk their lives to save the lives of other people, people who had they been exposed to them may well have been "offended" by said mugs, but undoubtedly would not have been offended enough to turn down their services had they or someone they love been in the position to need them. It's ridiculous in the extreme.

IT IS NOT JUST THE MUGS

I fully support the RNLI. The fact that the men are volunteers is neither here nor there. Whilst I'd be very grateful to be rescued by them should the need arise (and I live overlooking the sea), I don't see that should exempt them from adhering to the terms of the RNLI's policies and the laws that I manage to stick to in my employee and voluntary roles.

For those who are saying that these men should be allowed to crack on as they were because they're doing a valued and dangerous role, where should the line be drawn? Should I also be fine with them copping a feel when they get me into the boat? How about them asking to see my breasts? At what point does misogyny become unacceptable to you and why do you value your own sex so little that you feel we should all put up and shut up? Where's your sense of self worth?

I suspect that was only the thin edge of the wedge of their behaviour.

What on earth is your evidence for this? Absolutely nothing! Let’s hope you never need rescuing by someone who is unpaid and volunteering to risk their life for you. Ridiculously nannyism.

@abitofanangrybird

"where should the line be drawn?"

When acting illegally. I couldn't care less about the mugs or someone being offended by breasts.

It seems there's more to this than tit-cups but the line should be drawn way beyond someone being offended by a mug.

Total overreaction, if this was the only misdemeanour, with no warning! There should have been, at the very least, an opportunity for a 'clean-out' first, by way of perhaps an email to all staff stating what 'items' needed to be got rid of 'with immediate effect' and a warning of what action would be taken if this was not done! If this kind of action HAS been carried out, then fair play. But arbitrary sacking, for owning a smutty mug,with no warning...not on!!!

They were asked to remove the mugs:

'Initially, Mr Winspear and Mr Laws were reportedly told if the mugs were destroyed they would face no further action.'

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/03/rnli-volunteers-sacked-dispute-mugs-adorned-naked-women/

Inappropriate WhatsApp messages were then discovered.

'“The investigation focused on the production of inappropriate material of a sexual nature and social media activity directed at an RNLI staff member. This was not a trivial matter.”'

@Juells

Show me the evidence there was more than the mugs. Show me the proof that the members of staff were spoken too, and still refused to remove the mugs. Show me the extensive paper trail that goes along with it in any business.

If you can't it's a one thing, boobs don't bother me. It's a naked women on a mug. There are ones with men on too. I don't see the need to get this precious about a mug.

What on earth is your evidence for this? Absolutely nothing! Let’s hope you never need rescuing by someone who is unpaid and volunteering to risk their life for you. Ridiculously nannyism.

RTFT

Teachers DO have mugs like that.

No idea what kind of schools you work in but there are certainly no such mugs and pictures in my staff room, nor in any of the others I've worked in! We just wouldn't be allowed.

Personally, I don't want to be dragged from the water and given a cup of tea in a naked woman mug.

"Stupid post of the thread to try & make a point" award.

You may care if there is no RNLI to go out and get your kids because a culture of bullying means they've all left and the RNLI can't recruit more members.

How about if the best type of people for these roles are the "don't give a shit but just get on with it" macho caveman type though?

I know for a fact that if I had to rely on Mumsnetters to drop everything, drive to a station in pounding rain & then go out in a tiny boat through huge waves to find me in the middle of the night I'd drown.......

NO-ONE deserves to be bullied and harassed at work.

The RNLI are required BY LAW to protect their staff from that sort of thing.

the minimisers will focus on "the mug"

For goodness sake read what the RNLI have saidwww.thirdsector.co.uk/rnli-defends-decision-sack-lifeboat-volunteers-explicit-mug-row/management/article/1463819here. It was not just about the mugs, there was far more to it all, and the RNLI cannot say more as it is an ongoing investigation.

I started work in engineering over 30 years ago and it was accepted then that saucy posters were not really acceptable and they soon came down with no resistance. I’m shocked and saddened to see that many here think that this sort of behaviour is ok.

Teachers DO have mugs like that.

Irrelevant, because the mugs in the picture weren’t the ones involved.

I suspect that was only the thin edge of the wedge of their behaviour.

What on earth is your evidence for this? Absolutely nothing! Let’s hope you never need rescuing by someone who is unpaid and volunteering to risk their life for you. Ridiculously nannyism

Maybe, Dondie, her evidence is the RNLI's statement that the conduct in question involved '“the production of inappropriate material of a sexual nature and social media activity directed at an RNLI staff member”'? Were they supposed to close their eyes to this because the people responsible were volunteers?

How about if the best type of people for these roles are the "don't give a shit but just get on with it" macho caveman type though?

Presumably, if they are, they manage to restrain any impulses to to produce inappropriate sexual material and bully staff members, given that the vast majority haven't been sacked. And bear in mind that a number of the volunteers are women.

Sacked ? No job and livelihood

What happened to talking to people

Bat shit crazy OP

“The RNLI are not just your average volunteers. They volunteer to risk their own lives every call out and do a job you couldn't pay most people to do.”

That doesn’t give them special dispensation for sexual bullying in the workplace.

Firefighters risk their lives, police officers risk their lives (including volunteer officers) none of that means they have special dispensation to behave however they like in the workplace.

“Personally, I don't want to be dragged from the water and given a cup of tea in a naked woman mug.

"Stupid post of the thread to try & make a point" award.”

When the people involved have been asked to desist with the behaviour and insisted on continuing as if workplace rules don’t apply to them no I don’t want them in that position of trust and responsibility.

Why can't people read the bloody thread and RNLI statement before posting?

I grew up with a Royal Navy and Merchant Navy family background, and served myself before working for the police. I have a very warped and robust sense of humour.

However, it was the bullying management in the police that broke my mental health. The RNLI is referring to much more than mugs and even noted that the mugs were not like the ones mocked up in the media. It smacks very much to me of twats trying to minimise their behaviour and blame it on "PC" - it was just a bit of a laugh, gov! Very speaking that the female crew members aren't supporting the twats. I've shared accommodation with male colleagues and thought nothing of it but then they didn't behave like it appears these men did; my colleagues would have slapped down this sort of behaviour, having had too much respect for me and my contribution.

I doubt very much that the RNLI did this without a great deal of thought and advice, and that the mugs were the tip of the iceberg.

stopfuckingshouting, jobs and livelihoods don't come into it. These are volunteers.

I will hold my hands up and admit that I have never volunteered for the RNLI (I get seasick in the bath and have absolutely no boat-related skills). However, my husband has.
I asked him about this because of his experience and he thinks it's unlikely this was in any way frivolous. He also says that if one member of a team is behaving aggressively towards another, or is obviously discriminatory towards them, it poisons the whole team. If you are relying on the rest of your team in such a dangerous environment then you need to be very sure of them.
As hard as it is to train and recruit new crewmembers, if there is dead wood then it needs to be cut out.

@gameNight

So you agree that the line should be drawn at the bullying and sexual harassment then? Sounds like you're arguing the same point as me. I wasn't referring to mugs (although I think they were inappropriate).

there was a male nurse in Denmark who raped a women in AE. Is that also ok, because normally he "saves lifes"?

When the people involved have been asked to desist with the behaviour and insisted on continuing as if workplace rules don’t apply to them no I don’t want them in that position of trust and responsibility.

So drown then.....