Workplace Dilemma: How Should I Handle Pressure to Take Responsibility for Past Events?

Dear HR, I have been asked by one of the Directors to provide a statement about the events that occurred last year in September. I had a discussion with him and his wife regarding the sexual harassment allegations against him (the director). My manager advised me to seek guidance from our group HR on the matter. When questioned by this director about it, he denied the allegations. Now, it appears as though I fabricated the story. He informed me last Friday that my manager has denied advising me to seek guidance. I then told him that whatever happened last year, I take full responsibility for it and apologized for the sexual allegations. I wrote a letter of apology to him, which he acknowledged, but he still insists on receiving a statement where I declare that I am taking full responsibility for everything that happened last year. Please advise.

It was a case of sexual harassment that I personally experienced. I gave him a letter of apology, as I had already apologized in person, and he requested a written apology as well. Now, he is asking me to write a statement because he claims my manager never instructed me to consult with the group HR, implying that I am lying. I feel victimized for speaking up about the sexual harassment.

Addressing the Situation Under the POSH Act

Your apology was a mistake. Giving a letter in writing was a bigger mistake. However, even now, you can take up the matter of a complaint with the internal complaints committee under the POSH Act. If there is no committee formed, then you can go to the district complaints committee. Further, there is a mechanism under the Act for penalizing the company for not forming the committee.

You should not give any statement on this matter. You need to speak to a lawyer or an NGO specializing in sexual harassment to help with this. Otherwise, your work life will be a miserable one, and in any future background check, they will be fully qualified to show your new employer that you are a troublemaker. Your own letter is proof of that.

You must meet with a subject matter expert on sexual harassment before taking any action now. Do not provide any statements or put anything in writing before consulting with them. You may even consider hiring a lawyer or seeking legal advice on this matter.

If sexual harassment actually happened, your apology and statement of taking full responsibility can be misused by your superiors as a tool for the future, and you can be treated as habitual of making false complaints if any incident happens in the future also. So, think at least ten times before giving any such statement.

Official vs. Personal Matters in the Workplace

I am not sure how you viewed this episode. Your line, "as I find the matter raised by the querist is of personal nature," is surely true and correct until it remained between Letticia, the Director, and his wife. The moment the Manager and the HR person intervened, as per Letticia's summary, it has already become an official issue. The fact that she has been asked for verbal and written apologies only escalates the issue towards officialese.

Also, though it's not clear from the posting, the situation seems to have occurred within the confines of the office, which, if true, makes it another reason to become official.

@ Letticia--

While concurring with Nathrao and Saswata Banerjee on the precautions you need to take as well as the action plan for the next step, I still think there are holes in the details you mentioned. When the incident happened last September—4-5 months ago—why is this being raked up now? What happened in the intervening period?

While it's surely understandable that not everyone has the courage to take a firm stand in such issues, especially when top officials are involved, it also doesn't mean that one has to meekly submit. The only consequence of such an action, like yours, would be that you have given them a stick to beat you with—at their choice of time and place.

Consult any lawyer friend who doesn't try to grab this as another chance to make money, or, still better, approach any NGO.

All the best.

Regards,
TS