Can we stop employees from having direct contact?

undercoverirish

@Brassic would you really be wanting a payoff? I!!!8217;m sure this can be resolved. I understand that she!!!8217;s angry if she is feeling overlooked and aggrieved but I have every intent of putting this right if I possibly can. My heart is in the right place and I will deal with the guy in question in the proper manner once I!!!8217;ve had some guidance from the HR company.

I have no idea what to expect now from her intentions. If she is actually looking for a payoff and not to sort things out, how much would someone ask for in this position? And this is a position I never imagined I would have put someone in.

It!!!8217;s been said before but it was an oversight and I did not mean to be so dismissive of her.

TELLIT01

The OP has made a monumental cockup (possibly unfortunate term in the circumstances) but I don't think there was any intent to upset anybody. The problem now is how to resolve the situation and, as has been said, he's going to speak to HR before discussing it further.
The sad reality of the world today is that if somebody wants to take offence at something that has been said, the person who said it is deemed automatically to be in the wrong. It doesn't matter if a comment has been totally misinterpreted or misrepresented.
That said, it was wrong to expect the sole female employee to go along with what had been considered 'banter' in an all male environment. I've worked in mixed, and all male, environments and there's no way some of the stuff I've been party to in an all male environment would have been appropriate in a mixed one. A lot of it wasn't really appropriate in an all male environment but nobody was likely to complain directly because "It's just lads chat, get over it" would have been the response from the boss - he would have been the instigator of much of it!

BrassicWoman

undercoverirish wrote: »

@Brassic would you really be wanting a payoff?

Well I wouldn't want to work there any more, in a culture of lads where it was acceptable to chat me up, then use me to cover tracks with the missus, and the boss seemed to think that was acceptable because he blamed me for it. !!!!!! how do you think she must be feeling? What are the guys saying about her behind her back in this "non PC" culture you encourage?

6 months pay, clean reference, done with a settlement agreement
- so add on £350 for you to pay for lawyers fees for her + whatever your own fees for getting the agreement drawn up are

- would be the price I'd accept to make your problem go away. She may settle for less. Ask your HR person, or your lawyer.

Next time hire 3 or 4 women at a time? or sack the worst "lads" to send a clear message.

Unless you really think there is no problem - which I suspect you do.

undercoverirish

I didn!!!8217;t know initially that he was covering his tracks for his wife though. I know I should have investigated it more, I realise that now. It makes a bit more sense knowing that is what actually happened. I don!!!8217;t know if he ever had any intention of anything happening with her or if it was just some flirting on his part. I guess it!!!8217;s irrelevant though now that we have already taken action.

elsien

Lets not jump the gun here folks. The person has not asked for a payoff.
They may do so in due course if the complaint is not resolved to their satisfaction. They may not if they generally like their job and are happy with the outcome.
OP needs to be prepared, which he will be following discussions with HR, but there's no need to start jumping to conclusions at this point.

Tigsteroonie

I know it's an anonymous forum but, be honest, how many workplaces and employees are going to have had exactly this situation today? Personally I think there is a good chance that the employee will either find or be directed to the thread, certainly if she speaks about what has happened with any of her real friends.

undercoverirish

Ok point taken on that

BrassicWoman

undercoverirish wrote: »

I didn!!!8217;t know initially that he was covering his tracks for his wife though. I know I should have investigated it more, I realise that now. It makes a bit more sense knowing that is what actually happened. I don!!!8217;t know if he ever had any intention of anything happening with her or if it was just some flirting on his part. I guess it!!!8217;s irrelevant though now that we have already taken action.

Your entire tone suggests you think your workplace is "ok."

just some flirting is ok, something happening is not?

undercoverirish

That didn!!!8217;t come out how I meant it. If they were enjoying some banter that was accepted on both sides, I think that is ok. However maybe one of them thought there was more to it?

suki1964

I don't think you understand, there shouldn't be "banter" of that nature in the workplace full stop

That way there is no mistaking what is banter, what is flirting and whats a full on come on