Workplace Harassment Crisis: How Should This Senior Manager Navigate Her Legal and Career Options?

Case Presentation: Seeking Guidance on Workplace Harassment

An employer hired a female professional at the senior management level with core functional expertise. The organization is very orthodox in its approach, and all the employees have been part of it since its inception in 1984, except for this new hire. Upon joining, the work allocated to the new incumbent by the CEO (being the immediate boss) was totally different from the position for which the incumbent was hired. This led to total confusion for the new incumbent and the team, resulting in non-acceptance of the position within the organization. The new employee also became exposed to the existing legacies and anomalies.

Thus, the CEO, fearing exposure to higher authorities, started harassing the new incumbent. This frustrated the new employee, who then submitted a conditional resignation. The resignation further infuriated the CEO, leading to harassment through unethical behavior, false allegations, and pressure tactics. He also transferred all departmental charges to his most trusted employee without notifying the new employee, who is also the Head of Department (HOD). Despite numerous representations to the CEO and higher authorities, no response has been given. The problem remains unresolved, and the resignation has not been accepted, with close to nine months having passed.

Seeking Legal and Professional Guidance

Please guide on what this female employee should do as she feels her modesty and professionalism have not been maintained. She feels cheated in terms of her career prospects. There is no grievance and harassment policy in the system. Is there any legal remedy, and will it impact her future career prospects? The CEO wants the conditional resignation letter and subsequent representations to be withdrawn and for her to submit a concise resignation letter for acceptance. He is also avoiding an interface between the new hire and the Board in his presence. Please share your views so this employee can be guided on a roadmap in this crisis situation.

Dealing with Workplace Harassment

Had I been in this situation, I would not have wasted my time with such an organization. To me, my job is a creative extension of my abilities and not something that will give me problems and tension. I am sure that this woman employee is talented and skilled. She should just stop going to the office and send them a resignation letter via registered post. Write all your points in that mail and attach a letter from the National Commission for Women (National Commission for Women, New Delhi, India). Approach this Commission and state your case first.

There is no dearth of jobs in the market. I don’t know why people suffer so much at work.

Regards

Thank you for the prompt response. Moving the discussion forward, as suggested, this should be done exactly. However, I believe it is important to inform the Apex body of the organization about her sufferings before leaving. Simply quitting might make life easier for this gentleman, but it could also lead to the spreading of a fabricated story to protect himself.

Closed Mindset in the Office

The organization seems to have a closed mindset. New hires who come from different backgrounds, companies, and experiences may not be quickly accepted in such organizations.

Concerns About CEO's Activities

Is the CEO engaging in any illegal activities in the company? The new hire is finding herself out of place and out of sync in this new environment.

Advice for the New Hire

My advice would be to leave and move on with your career. You have better things to do than to try to reform someone who has a different mindset and is not open to new views, opinions, and ways of working. As long as the new hire has not been physically harassed or troubled, they should calmly move on and find an alternate job. One cannot keep trying to change orthodox and closed mindsets.

Though I am a greenhorn in the HR profession, I believe the issue emanated from the hiring process. Sometimes, when an individual is hired and none of those with whom they are to work are involved in the selection process, issues such as these emerge. In a nutshell, if the CEO was part of those who made the selection, I don't think he would have an issue with her.

Secondly, I think the issue could be gender-related since the case never mentioned anything about her being incompetent.

Finally, she might have attempted to initiate certain changes within the organization, which ended up being perceived as threats.

My kind advice to her is to resign unconditionally and continue with her career elsewhere.