No Means No

What happens when no one says no though? Apparently, you can still get into trouble for sexual harassment. That's the lesson I learned yesterday at work. This is by far the most ridiculous thing that has happened to me in a long time.

I'm not saying that there shouldn't be laws against inappropriate comments and other things going on in the work place, I just think my work handled this completely wrong. I know all of you are thinking that I did something to get in trouble for sexual harassment, but you couldn't be more wrong. Actually, one of my coworkers got in trouble for sexually harassing me.

I'm fairly laid back. If I know someone is joking, I don't care what they say to me. I'll get a good laugh out of it too. She and I have a good relationship where we can joke around with each other. She never says anything in front of clients, and I've never complained. However, she was told that if she continues to say things, she may get fired.

Again, I understand that in certain cases, someone may feel bullied into saying that they don't mind that someone said something or did something and won't admit that they are uncomfortable, but this is obviously not the case with me. Also, no one even said anything to me about it before the meeting. I found out the next day from the poor girl who got in trouble. We both laughed when she told me, but that isn't the point. I actually thought she was joking when she told me, and she thought the bosses were joking when they reprimanded her. Who would have thought that this actually isn't a joking matter?

What really bothers me is that we all get along at my job and make comments that verge on being inappropriate. When you're friends with the people outside of work too, sometimes the lines blur a little. I just don't think it's fair for someone to get in trouble for something that everyone there has done at one time or another, and for them to make it look like I complained and that is why they had to say something.