Comment by YorkshireSeason

7 years ago 

   all harassment claims should be

No, of course not. Symmetrically, the should also not automatically accepted as true.

There should be an objective, measurable process. Given the cul-de-sac that organisations like Google have been strong-armed into, I think the obvious next step is

(1) to record all work-time interaction of all employees and store them for a long time, e.g. at least 10 years.

(2) Give a absolutely clear-cut criteria as to what counts as acceptable behaviour and what doesn't.

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YorkshireSeason

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ryanmercer  7 years ago

>No, of course not. Symmetrically, the should also not automatically accepted as true.

This. I imagine most are absolutely true, but there are some that absolutely are not. I've personally been accused by rape, online, of someone in another state that I've never even been to. Fortunately, no one took the claim serious but I imagine there are many innocent people that have been wrongly accused for whatever reason.

I also had a friend, that was using OkCupid, reject a girl very politely in the first message or two. She then went on 'cheaterville' and posted that he gave her sexual transmitted diseases/infections and made multiple accounts alleging the same, one even as him with his name. He's an actor, he was up for a role and they retracted their offer when googling his name brought the cheaterville page up on the first page. Now if these two instances have happened to 2 guys from the midwest that have no power or money, I can only imagine there are quite a few false accusations regularly. I also imagine there are many many more TRUE accusations.

We need to protect individuals regardless of race, gender and sexual orientation but at the same time we need to avoid workplace harassment turning into McCarthyism.

  • YorkshireSeason  7 years ago 

       I imagine most are absolutely 
   true,

    I don't, for two reasons.

    (1) There is simply no agreement currently on what counts as harassment.

    (2) Anecdote: I've been involved in investigating a sexual harassment claim at a previous employer, at it was absolutely and categorically and provably false.

       turning into McCarthyism.

    Too late. That ship has sailed a long time ago. The situation has gotten so out of hand, that recording all employee interaction might indeed be the only way forward.

    • ryanmercer  7 years ago

      >(1) There is simply no agreement currently on what counts as harassment.

      This is an absolutely fair observation.

      >The situation has gotten so out of hand, that recording all employee interaction might indeed be the only way forward.

      Yeah, I think something like bodycams is likely the most effective solution to the issue but then things get tricky for various industries, stuff like patient/client confidentiality laws, trade secrets, etc. Not to mention stuff like using the restroom, where sexual harassment could still take place.

      Then audio-only wouldn't cover miming explicit actions.

      It's certainly a problem with no easily actionable answer.