Bullying in the workplace: a realtime example

[Bidisha]

I've been contacted by a reader who is experiencing bullying at work. I asked her permission to make her story public, with names changed, as I suspect that this is something that's been experienced by many women....

www.bidisha-online.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/sexist-workplace-bullying-realtime-case.html

I agree with SardineQueen
Trying to kiss someone at an office party isn't assault unless you continue to force a kiss after your advance has clearly been rejected

Claiming sexual assault over this detracts massively from the rest imo

Why EFA? Discussng this man's entitlement to try and kiss this women hasn't detracted from the issue. It has shown why he carried on to bully her. She didn't describe it as sexual assault btw and you brought it into the debate.

No it was identified as an attempted sexual assault in the original piece which is why fattyacid queried it.

Yes by Bidisha, not by the woman. So it isn't detracting from her issues at all. She never described it as that. Therefore she wouldn't be describing it as that in her meeting with the head. So how is it detracting?

I'm going to back out now because I am continuing a debate about something I don't really have that strong an opinion on. I thought it was interesting that people had differing views on it and why. But I don't thnk it detracts from her case.

I guess Bidisha would be the best person to ask then!

I would think it's an attempted kiss, rather than an attempted sexual assault.

I wonder if Bidisha is around here anywhere

Bidisha?

Yup, bidisha's thread and bidisha's opening analysis is sexual assault. I think this will alienate many people from the rest of the article.

I would count myself as a feminist and have experienced bullying myself in the workplace. I am predisposed favourably towards bidisha's articles and yet this assault claim alienated even me

That was at SQ btw .

SQ I completely agree with your 14:35:45 post.

Surely EFA, It's just a few peoples opinion on what is and what isn't assault. I really don't understand how having a different or, some might say, more radical POV on a small point from the email exchange can be seen as alienating.

Take it from me it's alienating because it's an extremist stance and makes the reader wonder how much the rest of the article is too. I have NEVER considered an attempted kiss at a work party could be assault. Forced kiss yes, but nobody claimed it was forced upon her!

Do we need witnessed verbal specific permission as a minimum before attempting a first kiss now? From both people involved or just the man?

Totally agree that while the rest was awful, you can't know that him trying to kiss her was attempted sexual assault, not from the brief description she gave of it. I've leaned in for a kiss with a guy I was dancing with and he backed off, and vice versa has also happened to me. It's easy to misread signals. Leaping to that big accusation from little information really detracts from the rest of the response.

miloben that's a horrible story :(