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“Don’t Blush Baby”: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Sexual harassment is a form of workplace bullying. Workplace bullying is verbal, physical, social or psychological abuse by an employer, employee, colleague (or manager), or another person or group of people at work. […] Workplace bullying can happen in any type of workplace, from offices to shops, cafes, restaurants, workshops, community groups and government organisations.…

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Submitted by Felicia Browne, Human Rights Advocate
Submitted by Felicia Browne, Human Rights Advocate

Sexual harassment is a form of workplace bullying. Workplace bullying is verbal, physical, social or psychological abuse by an employer, employee, colleague (or manager), or another person or group of people at work. […]

Workplace bullying can happen in any type of workplace, from offices to shops, cafes, restaurants, workshops, community groups and government organisations. According to the United Nations General Recommendation 19 to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (UN, 1992), sexual harassment includes: unwelcome physical contact, verbal remarks and sexual advances. Sexual harassment in the workplace may involve a demand for sex in return for a job benefit or other actions that create a hostile, humiliating or intimidating working environment for the victim.

Read full text of  – “Don’t Blush Baby”: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

199 responses to ““Don’t Blush Baby”: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace”

  1. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @chad99999 January 14, 2016 at 3:03 PM Why are you defending a man who feels-up 15 year old girls?

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/marcel-aubut-apologizes-for-behaviour-quits-law-firm/article26746030/

    Since news of the initial allegation surfaced, several more women have come forward, the latest a former Quebec Nordiques hostess (Mr. Aubut was the club’s principal owner), who alleges she was groped on multiple occasions; she told the TVA network on Thursday she was 15 at the time of the incidents. In a subdued voice, Mr. Aubut says he plans to “undertake a full introspection” and that he has already sought help in understanding his behaviour.”

  2. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    It’s called penis sympathy, an automatic male response in those so inclined, don’t care how heinous the crime against the female.

  3. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/marcel-aubut-apologizes-for-behaviour-quits-law-firm/article26746030/

    “At the same time, he repeated a contention his allies and friends – including high-profile Journal de Montreal columnist Réjean Tremblay – have made since a storm of accusations began to envelop the 67-year-old: that he is, in a sense, the victim of changing social mores.”

    He and his friends are talking nonsense. He is no victim. I like Arbut am in my 60’s and at no time in my life was it considered socially or morally or legally correct for a 60+ man to to feel-up a 15 year old girl child.

  4. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Ya can bet Aubut only has this new found introspection since being caught, looks like he was at it for decades.

  5. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    I don’t know that any complex psychological help is needed for him to understand his behaviour.

    The man needs to keep his zip up and his damn hands to himself.

    When I was 4 my teacher wrote on the board “keep you hands from picking and stealing and you tongue from speaking guile”

    I haven’t forgotten.

    Never shoplifted or ever taken that which was not mine.

    Always speak the truth.

    If a 4 year old can understand that why is a 67 year old hot shot lawyer so challenged.

    Stupseee!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. chad99999 Avatar
    chad99999

    @Simple Simon I am disappointed in you. When an emasculated man is facing the hostility of the cruel world, he will say anything. The defendants at show trials in Stalinist Russia, North Korea and China have been very meek men, issuing grovelling apologies for crimes they may not even have committed.
    Canada is now a country where women have most of the rights and men have most of the responsibilities. This man has been destroyed by feminism.

  7. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Last year a 3 1/2 year old niece bit me.

    I said to her “that hurt. If you ever bite me again I will bite you back, real hard.”

    She has not bitten anybody since.

    If a 3 1/2 year ld can understand not to hurt people why is a 67 year old hot shot lawyer so challenged?

  8. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Don’t worry. I am not an abuser of toddlers.

    But I wanted to “put the fear of God in her”

    It worked.

  9. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Just because Arbut enjoys feeling up 15 year old girls it does not mean that the girls are enjoying it.

    Just because a 3 1/2 year old enjoys biting me it does not mean that I enjoy it.

    A 3 1/2 year old understands that. So can a 67 year old hot shot lawyer.

  10. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    I’ve heard that men are less intelligent than women. I’ve never wanted to believe that, but does anybody know whether it is true?

  11. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @chad99999 January 14, 2016 at 6:38 PM “@Simple Simon I am disappointed in you. When an emasculated man…”

    I don’t care whether you are disappointed in me or not.

    I am too old now to care now about pleasing anybody. You are disappointed. So what?

    Emasculated what.

    So far as we know Mr. Arbut’s balls still reside in his pants.

  12. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @chad99999 January 14, 2016 at 6:38 PM “@show trials in Stalinist Russia, North Korea and China

    And Chad stop telling lies on your country and mine do. Canada is not Stalinist Russia, North Korea, nor China.

    Canada that bastion of liberal democracy in the great white north.

    Who you tink you fooling?

    Ya joker.

  13. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Chris Gayle’s “hitting” on the reporter was inappropriate and clearly his “superstar” status went to his head.

    It is also stupid to ask for a date live in front of a stadium full of people. His actions were downright juvenile with very little chance of success.

    Hopefully he has learned from the “experience”.

  14. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    From Chad’s responses, he’s proving that it’s true.

  15. ac Avatar
    ac

    chris gayle is a macho man and women Love macho men ask me how i know

  16. SuckaBubby Avatar
    SuckaBubby

    It is harassment because you didn’t solicit it.I cannot speak for you as to your reaction but men are generally socialized to accept this sort of behaviour or be labelled an inadequate provider or a “soft-man”.

  17. ac Avatar
    ac

  18. ac Avatar
    ac

  19. Thegazer Avatar
    Thegazer

    If this was a West Indian reporter would the story play out the same way. I am certain the answer is no. We have to learn to respecting women when we are at home and this will help us avoid making mistakes when we get outside of the Caribbean.

  20. Stalker Avatar
    Stalker

    Thanks guys, appreciate your comment. In the supermarket I was obviously in “shell shock”.I didn’t want to escalate things.She was bold & had an aggressive & demanding tone.I didn’t want her to slap me / insult me in front of the other women so played it cool.I was called a “cheap bastard ” , & other things by females before.

  21. chad99999 Avatar
    chad99999

    Why are you backing down and putting your tail between your legs when women get obnoxious? That is why most of them now think they are always right, and that is why we see the steady erosion of men’s rights and the steady rise of mannish women, who are the “new men” of Europe and North America.
    Look up the meaning of “pantywaist”, “sissy”, and “eunuch”.

  22. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Ain’t fairplay a bi*tch…adult suffrage for females was so much better, no rights for females….that was so much better for the males…right.

  23. chad99999 Avatar
    chad99999

    The reason TV networks pay enormous salaries to beautiful young women who know nothing about sports to interview famous athletes in sports stadiums is that they want to provide the audience with thoughts and images that can be used for the private pleasures of sexual fantasies.
    Everyone in this role play is supposed to collaborate in the game. If you depart from the script, as Gayle did, you expose the dirty, sniggering, socially unacceptable ideas at work. We can’t have that, because in this culture we are all hypocrites.

  24. ac Avatar
    ac

    WTF a man gives a genuine compliment to white woman and he is fined ten thousand dollars nobody cannot convince me that color of skin was not the deciding factor for that hefty fine,but then again black men never learn that the are still regarded as “yardboys” in the Caucasian world no ratter how much success they have achieved ,,Good Lord

  25. David Avatar
    David

    One must be professional.

    One must be culturally aware.

    One must know if you offend to apologize and move on.

    It is dishonest to defend what it wrong.

    One must not be confused about the issues.

    A JA made a stuoid comment on national TV.

    Gayle is a goo cricketer but obviously a lout.

    JA

    >

  26. ac Avatar
    ac

    Calling a woman Beautiful is an offence ? seriously ! what was the offence only one manufactured with a purpose of intent to circumvent a non issue and placed on a bed of feminist and racist tones Nothing having to do with sexual harassment , Fuh christ sake how can the hefty fined be justified ,? and in what context ? is there a law now stating that if a man compliments a woman is an abnormality ?i where does this kind of annoying aggravation with somewhat suspicious intentions stop.?Is society now to be drawn into a degree of political correctness that sets the stage for more racist division
    What chris Gayle said is a norm among many cultures and known as terms of endearment For Christ sake must every one word uttered in society to compliment be cause for a new speech and to whom these words are address especially if you of the black race

  27. David Avatar
    David

    Gayle has apologized even if disingenuously and Mel indicated she wants to move on. History is replete with sportsmen making an ass of themselves during an interview, Namath comes to mind. What we have is a JA who crossed the line and now must pay for it professionally.

    We live in a world where even the most stupid act can be rationalized as justified.

    Deal with it!

  28. ac Avatar
    ac

    David @ac

    It is dishonest to defend what it wrong.

    so what was the wrong? i tell people of your ilk the wrong is when white supremacist set rules and standards that the whole world must adhere all seeming;y innocent then sets up barriers where the unsuspecting believes that these barriers are for the betterment but being unaware that these barriers are tied to past racist behavior and attitude….. Chris gayle innocent comment to a white news reporter carries all the tell tale signs that white supremacist abhors taking one mind back to the days of Jim Crow

  29. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    AC is trying to distract with crap as usual when she should be paying attention to the Jim Crow wannabes in Apes Hill. Gayle tried to haul the female in by her panties, just the above look on his deceitful face says it all.

    I remember Condoleeza Rice, reportedly has some Bajan ancestry from enslavement days, a Russian diplomat once referred to her as a mule, a female without a womb, because she lacks sympathy and empathy and he was right. The Bushman would recognize the traits.

    Gayle has a bad track record for playing those bedroom games and keeping score. Not every female would be impressed.

  30. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    SOME WOMEN like macho men. I DO NOT! I would have made Chris Gayle so shame on international TV he would have never been called a macho man again.

    Some women also harass men and should be treated in the same manner as we would wish to treat male offenders.

    IT IS ABOUT RESPECT FOR BOTH SEXES!

  31. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Having said that anyone who does not consider the racial angle must be living in another world. I am positive that that would have ADDED to the outrage and made his crime more “HEINOUS”.

  32. Peltdownman Avatar
    Peltdownman

    ac, I don’t know if in this case you are a man or a woman, but I do know that whichever it is, you are an idiot. Gayle has played cricket around the world, and he doesn’t have the brains to know what is and what is not offensive in different cultures? He clearly carries his brain in his d*ck. It is apparent every tourist season that with some North American and European women coming to the West Indies with sex in mind, this has gone to mean among the brainless, that ALL such women want a West Indian man. The response to Gayle was OTT, but some of it was justified. Calling any strange woman “baby” is crass. Defending it is even more crass.

  33. ac Avatar
    ac

    I still waiting for some one to point out the disrespect or sexual harasssment Gayle exhibited towards the female white reporter. If one wants to use Gayle history as an example of his advances towards the female gender ..then the same logic canbe applied to supremacist actions and attiudes against black males who dare look at the white female crosseyed.
    For those who are unware of a new brand of racism targetting rich blacks just take a look at how the stage is presently set with conceptions and salicious and mischievous tones all tailormade to fool and influence the closed mind.
    Joe Namath btw how much was he fined . Get real folks this new brand of racism intentionally to attack the rich and influential black man is rooted in racist supermacist laws only this time they are all legally acceptable
    It is time for blacks to dust off their ole history books and start reading.
    Question. How about the Bill clinton how come his indiscretions were dismissed and not placed under the same rules and regulations of sexual harrasment which should have seen him dismissed from office.
    The reality is that he was not black

  34. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @David
    We live in a world where even the most stupid act can be rationalized as justified

    +++++++++++++++
    How about inserting that statement on your masthead?

  35. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Of course…..but Gayle is also quite aware of the racist angle and he refuses to cease and desist. He is the goddamn idiot.

  36. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Bill Clinton knew he could get away with his lowlifeness….Gayle KNOWS, he cannot. What is he……. retarded. Racism is not as black and white as people want to believe….the hardest thing is to know.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Sargeant

    There is the downside to living in a democratic society where any bullshit is give airplay. Hell it is required to even tolerate the views of the idiot.

  38. Well Well & Consequences Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences

    Besides, Gayle also KNOWS he was doing that crap in a white majority country. It’s only in Barbados ya’ll allow a bunch of minorities to do as they like to the majority. Australia is majority white and no way in hell will they allow it so brazenly and openly and neither will any other white majority country.

    Get your goddamn acts together as a majority black country and you will have no reason to complain. They are right to protect themselves. If you do not want to protect yourselves, that is your backward and ignorant problem….full stop.

  39. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna

    Let us accept you are correct that prejudice and ‘racism’ played a part in this firestorm, it does not absolve Gayle from being a mandingo jack ass.

  40. ac Avatar
    ac

    Get real folks stop being mis lead by the noses . White racism is alive and well with a specific goal of attacking black wealth which translate to financial Power. Had Gayle been from the ghetto and made a similiar statement it would have been shrouded off. It is a pity that some intellectual blacks can be so easily conned into playing the white mans games. Games that many blacks fought and died for .Games that are now being reintroduced under new rules and guidlines that castigate certain races but gives a pass of recognition to others. Sorry bro ac would not be fooled.i am astutely aware of my history nothing idiotic about that

  41. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    Gayle presents himself as a PROFESSIONAL CRICKETER and should behave in a professional manner. Many of us are unaware of what is culturally acceptable in other countries and should avail ourselves to this information so as to conduct ourselves appropriately.

    Interestingly, many contributors seem to be purposely ignoring the fact that Gayle is a repeat offender as the Australian incident was not the first time he found himself in a similar situation with a female journalist.

    The following excerpt was taken from an article posted on the NDTV Sports website on July 18, 2014, entitled:

    “Chris Gayle Slammed for ‘Sexist’ Reply to Woman Journalist’s Question:”

    A women’s rights group has criticized Chris Gayle for his ‘offensive’ reply when asked his views on the playing track ahead of a Caribbean Premier League match.

    ANTIGUA: A women’s rights group here has condemned as “sexist” remarks made by Jamaica Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle to a female journalist at a media conference.

    And the group, Women Against Rape (WAR) headed by gender equity advocate Alexandrina Wong, has also criticized the response by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to the incident, reports CMC.

    Ahead of Thursday’s CPL clash here between Tallawahs and Antigua Hawksbills, Gayle, a former West Indies Test skipper, was asked Wednesday by the journalist: “How does the pitch feel so far in terms of the training (and) the weather?”

    The 34-year-old Gayle responded: “WELL I HAVEN’T TOUCHED YOURS YET SO I DON’T KNOW HOW IT FEELS”, before adding “I LIKE YOUR SMILE; THAT’S NICE.”

    However, the CPL downplayed the incident, saying that Gayle was just sharing a light moment with the female journalist.

    Wong slammed Gayle’s statement and also called on the CPL to elicit an apology from the Twenty20 star.

    “What it’s implying is one person’s power over another in the use of the language and so we can either say it’s sexist and hegemonic,” Wong said, adding that the response from the reporter “indicates that she obviously doesn’t know her right to autonomy”.

    <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Rather than acknowledge that Gayle’s behaviour was inappropriate, whether he was joking or not, many of us want to play the “racist” card when it suits a particular agenda.

    If the female was black, white, red, pink, green, yellow or multi-coloured, Chris Gayle’s behaviour was inappropriate.

    Unfortunately, however, we in the Caribbean condone bad behaviour from our so called “stars” and try to sweep their inappropriate actions under the carpet. Case in point…… Brian Lara. He was allowed to do as he pleased in West Indies cricket, with journalist, all and sundry ignoring what he did under the guise that he is a batting genius, so you have to leave him alone.

  42. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    @David January 15, 2016 at 9:36 AM #

    This maybe a good place for you to do a link with the middle pages of todays Nation paper.

    It is part of our history that the WW&Cs of this world do not want to deal with.

  43. ac Avatar
    ac

    The ten thousand dollar find is in itself is set out to cheapened and degrade the black man spirit.with a racist message similiar to that of lynching .Black people must not accept these racist traits as normalities and formalities that we can live with.

  44. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    The CPL responded to accusations of Gayle’s inappropriate behaviour towards a female reporter by defending his actions.

    Recall: “The Antigua Observer reports that Gayle made the somewhat controversial comment when the reporter asked, “How does the pitch feel so far in terms of the training (and) the weather?” His response, “Well I haven’t touched yours yet so I don’t know how it feels.”

    “In an email later, the CPL spokesperson defended Gayle’s action. “Chris is excited for the tournament and was having a laugh with a journalist, who had a laugh back; there was no malice intended.” [Source: Jamaican Observer, Thursday July 17, 2014]

    This is exactly what I mean when I mentioned in a previous post that we in the Caribbean love to condone the bad behaviour of our so called “stars.” That’s why when they travel and behave in a manner similar to what they exhibit in the West Indies, they are treated appropriately, because people in the international countries take certain human rights seriously.

    Similarly to how the AC jackasses were on BU citing human and constitutional rights of “freedom of speech,” people have the human right to work without being a victim of gender harassment (which includes making sexist jokes).

  45. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    When Gayle neglected West Indies cricket to be contracted by the Australians to play in their BBL, the Aussies were not regarded as racist. However, they penalized him for inappropriate behaviour, and they are now shouts of racism.

    What West Indians have to learn is that what we are prepared to tolerate in the Caribbean does not necessarily mean those international countries are OBLIGATED to tolerate as well.

  46. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    That incident occurred in our backyard, a predominantly Black region. The idiots using the race argument will probably find another limb to hold on to.

    JAs

  47. David Avatar
    David

    This is about doing the right thing by exercising respect for a woman doing he job. This is about an international sportsman earning his enormous fees by being a professional.

  48. ac Avatar
    ac

    Bro stop talking shit so early these issues are much larger and bugger than hometown political crap. There are intentions and calculated impressions to coerece the mind into believing that certain cultural norms are unacceptale unless directed by Certain class or race .Gayle is not the first black and would not be the last black to be placed under a lynch mob of radicial and racist impressions.The facts are alll recorded in history go do your research

  49. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    All this talk about racism is trite and give people fighting real issues of racism pause as they are aware that these extraneous issues that others want to interject into the subject make their tasks much more difficult. No matter how much people try to spin this as racism it loses its bite when others point out that white men doing the same are pilloried for their actions and black people are simply crying “wolf’ once again.

    Forget the other personalities that people want to draw into the fray, this brouhaha is Gayle’s and his alone. He acted the boor and as was pointed out he is a repeat offender, fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me, he doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy.

  50. ac Avatar
    ac

    Apologize for what!stating that the white woman is beautiful and then have to be slapped with a ten thousand fine. Sorry if all the supporters of racist actions towards one of their own can’t see how the needle us being thread

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