What would be the reaction in your workplace?

Iam64

Bags, the incident you refer to ‘you’ll go far in the conservative party’ involved rather more than a hand on a knee. The young man complained at the time
That aside, if you genuinely don’t understand why some people don’t immediately complain, or should seek assertiveness training - im not going to try and explain it.

When I started teaching, I was young and keen to impress. After I'd been in the job a few weeks, my male line manager told me that I had nice breasts, but I should try wearing a more uplifting bra. I was embarrassed and mortified, but this man was my boss and I was in shock. I hadn't been told how to complain, so I didn't. I still remember how I felt and can understand why people don't complain about those in power.

PS. I'm wiser now.

Iam64

Bags, the incident you refer to ‘you’ll go far in the conservative party’ involved rather more than a hand on a knee. The young man complained at the time
That aside, if you genuinely don’t understand why some people don’t immediately complain, or should seek assertiveness training - im not going to try and explain it.

I think you missed a bit of what I said, iam.

Greta

I'm a bit baffled by some of these responses. We are not talking about any sort of workplace - the man is an MP! He previously served as Minister of State for Housing. But no need to resign it seems because it happens in many workplaces. Or can we hope that not all MPs have lost their moral compass and he will be shown the door. Is another by-election forthcoming?

Yes
This man is a public servant, face to face with vulnerable constituents. In any other area of public service, he’d be suspended. It’s clear this isn’t an isolated incident. Serial drunken sexualised behaviour

Bags, the incident you refer to ‘you’ll go far in the conservative party’ involved rather more than a hand on a knee. The young man complained at the time
That aside, if you genuinely don’t understand why some people don’t immediately complain, or should seek assertiveness training - im not going to try and explain it.

Well, we all realise that Mps are a law unto themselves.
Asleep on the job?
Fine!
Watching porn?
No problem!
Telling massive lies?
Crack on!

They aren't like any other workers, because they behave however they want to, no matter how people despise it. They don't care.

The fact that normal, decent people don't behave like this means nothing to them whatsoever, so I can only see their excesses getting worse.

I'm a bit baffled by some of these responses. We are not talking about any sort of workplace - the man is an MP! He previously served as Minister of State for Housing. But no need to resign it seems because it happens in many workplaces. Or can we hope that not all MPs have lost their moral compass and he will be shown the door. Is another by-election forthcoming?

Obviously a love affair between two people who work together is very different from sexual assaults in the workplace.

Whilst I agree that sexual assault should be called out, what I don't understand is why people don't at the time.

Well, I understand that some of the time – in serious cases of assault – but I've just read an article about one of these Tory Party issues, the one where one of the accused allegedly put his hand on another man's knee and, allegedly, said he'd "go far".

Why didn't the younger man say: "Remove your hand from my knee" loud enough for one or two others to hear? I realise that some of you will tell me why but I'll still wonder why people don't get training in this assertiveness. It's a very useful social skill and would stop quite a lot of unwanted behaviour because the instigators of such behaviour would fear exposure and, hopefully therefore, desist.

If “over familiar” includes unwanted groping it is a sexual assault. Thank goodness this is now called out for what it is.

In the 1960's/70's, men in power sometimes used to get a little "over familiar" with junior female staff.

Nothing serious though, and usually swiftly dealt with, without fuss.

No serious sexual assaults, in my experience.

Affairs are totally different, unless coercion taking place.

Are we saying it goes on everywhere so is ok in Parliament?
Sexual assault is against the law.

eazybee

Regrettably, sexual misconduct occurs regularly in the education workplace, (schools and offices) and certainly the accessing of porn. The latter accusations of misconduct under the influence of drugs and alcohol appear to have taken place away from places of work and there are instances of this occurring in any body of workers whatever their job.

It's often claimed that schools attract people who are interested in sex with children for obvious reasons. Where else has such a number of children? Nevertheless, I honestly don't think it happens "regularly" and the number involved is minute. I expect a number of teachers sometimes drink too much and some take drugs, but I was never aware of any incidents arising from alcohol or drug taking.

Iam64

The OP isn’t referring to workplace affairs, or consensual sexual activity.
The incidents she details include sexual assault on a minor, watching porn in the workplace, drunken sexual groping of men, alleged sexual assault of women when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and rape.
Any one accused of that behaviour in my workplace would have been suspended. We worked with vulnerable people, just like these MP’s do.
I’m amazed so many here responded by talking about workplace affairs. There’s no comparison

Yes, quite different to an affair at work by two consenting adults, sleazy though that may be, especially if it's at work (in the stationery cupboard.)

Is anyone happy to have someone representing them who has carried out some of these criminal activities?

Given that I must have known thousands of teachers and other colleagues over the years, the total is nowhere near the percent of politicians who have been involved in sleaze.

Where I worked involved "sleeping in" shifts.
One on duty, one sleeping in.
.I can't speak for schools, only for what was common knowledge in my workplace.

I also know of another school employee who was accused of looking at porn on a school laptop. He was tried and found not guilty, but sacked anyway.

MissAdventure

Yes, totally different comparing those behaviours with consensual sex.
The problem is, I can't remember all the scandals, as there are so many, so would need to look them all up in order to comment.
I mostly went on the "Blojo" incident.

I worked in a number of schools (and some other workplaces). I certainly knew about affairs, but I don't know of any incidents when people were "intimate" in the workplace. I know of one teacher who worked in a school where I once worked and was convicted of grooming online. He was suspended immediately, sacked, sentenced and barred for life from teaching.

Iam64

The OP isn’t referring to workplace affairs, or consensual sexual activity.
The incidents she details include sexual assault on a minor, watching porn in the workplace, drunken sexual groping of men, alleged sexual assault of women when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and rape.
Any one accused of that behaviour in my workplace would have been suspended. We worked with vulnerable people, just like these MP’s do.
I’m amazed so many here responded by talking about workplace affairs. There’s no comparison

That was the point I was trying to make, but I was in a rush (and not quite woken up).

Yes, totally different comparing those behaviours with consensual sex.
The problem is, I can't remember all the scandals, as there are so many, so would need to look them all up in order to comment.
I mostly went on the "Blojo" incident.

Regrettably, sexual misconduct occurs regularly in the education workplace, (schools and offices) and certainly the accessing of porn. The latter accusations of misconduct under the influence of drugs and alcohol appear to have taken place away from places of work and there are instances of this occurring in any body of workers whatever their job.

The OP isn’t referring to workplace affairs, or consensual sexual activity.
The incidents she details include sexual assault on a minor, watching porn in the workplace, drunken sexual groping of men, alleged sexual assault of women when under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and rape.
Any one accused of that behaviour in my workplace would have been suspended. We worked with vulnerable people, just like these MP’s do.
I’m amazed so many here responded by talking about workplace affairs. There’s no comparison

Affairs certainly went on in places I've worked. They were usually quite discreet though.

When a couple were caught, in a bank I worked in, the woman got transferred to another branch, but I imagine was about financial security.

I've never known anyone getting down to it, in an unlocked office.

Or groping, getting drunk in the workplace, and trying non-consensual sexual activities.?

I worked for a large IT company and a local authority, all sorts went on at both organisations, not just the men either, it takes two to tango. I wasn’t aware of anyone being disciplined formally.

I'm assuming those with experience of workplace relationships are talking about consensual sex, not groping people when drunk, rape or sexually assaulting a minor.

If you mean just workplace sex, Hancock and Johnson should have been included.