What to Do After Being Falsely Accused of Sexual Harassment in Arizona at a Large Company?
Location: Arizona, USA
Company: Large, publicly traded
Situation:
– Falsely accused of groping a drunk colleague six months after criticizing her team’s performance
– Investigation led by head of marketing, closed with no further action
– No guidance on working with accuser or explanation for head of marketing leading investigation
– Concerned about reputation and handling of situation
Next Steps:
1. Seek Legal Advice:
– Consult with a lawyer to understand your rights and options
2. Addressing Work Environment:
– Discuss situation with HR and your line manager for clarity on how to proceed
3. Rebuilding Reputation:
– Communicate with colleagues to address any misconceptions about the accusation
4. Document Everything:
– Keep a record of all interactions and communications related to the accusation for reference
Remember, staying proactive and seeking support is crucial in navigating through such challenging situations. Stay informed and take necessary steps to protect your reputation and rights.
#Arizona #SexualHarassment #FalseAccusation #WorkplaceInvestigation #LegalAdvice #ReputationManagement
I’m shocked there is no policy about being at work functions hammered drunk.
Is that common in your environment?
It’s the post-me too world. A person’s career can be destroyed by allegations like this. The best advice for known problem people is to NEVER, EVER be alone with them. Follow up every conversation with a documenting email to state the facts and ensure clarity. If you sniff even a bit of a potential problem be proactive and seek support from your supervisor or HR. You cannot do enough to protect yourself.
It sucks that men have to do this but it’s the world we live in now.
Unfortunately, false accusations rarely lead to any repercussions for the accuser as it could be seen as retaliation and/or cooling off, especially if this was a he said/she said unsubstantiated claim.
Your reputation is ruined and some colleagues will continue to believe her.
You absolutely NC her completely at work, outside work gatherings/functions, etc.
Consider not attending these work gathering anymore as the chances of another accusation occuring are high.
No email, no phone calls, not even a casual “Hello” and no meeting in person to discuss work projects.
Since false accusers are rarely reprimanded, the next step would be fishing…to bump into you alone so she could escalate the charges and report again or get you to react in some way negatively which could cost you your job.
If she contacts you for anything work related, you respond by email and copy your supervisor. If she stops by your office and you are the only one there, you leave immediately and go to meet with other colleagues.
In the meantime, look for another job as these things, even if false, tend to stunt
one’s career prospects and promotional opportunities.
Wow. I don’t know why the accuser’s manager was permitted to question you. The only possible explanation I can think of is that they have some pull with HR, they feel protective of the employee, and they insisted on being involved. And/or maybe HR knew it was BS and figured letting it go that way was the quickest and least disruptive to dispel the allegation. Not saying that’s OK (at all!) but stranger things have happened.
As for concerns about your reputation, it’s likely not as bad as you think it is, but it’s also likely that there has been some “talk” and while people probably don’t know details that won’t stop people from speculating and assuming.
Do you have a good relationship with your line manager? If so you may want to consider letting them know (in confidence) about what happened – the investigation, your frustration with how the matter was handled, and your concerns about what to do about the coworker going forward. I know it may be uncomfortable, but its entirely possible HR already let them know, and it’s possible they can give you a neutral perspective on things, help you navigate some awkward interpersonal dynamics, and (if necessary) serve as a witness and/or source of documentation if problems persist.
And in the meantime, to cut off speculation by others, keep being your usual professional self. Show no changes in your behavior as they can be construed as an admission of guilt (or a concern that your previous actions were problematic). Your actions were not and are not the problem, and the best way to show that is to stay consistent.
And (should go without saying but) quietly document all your interactions with the accuser (as much as possible) and do your best to avoid doing anything that could be viewed as “retaliatory.”
This will pass. Until then hang in there!
This is NOT common for a manager of the person making the allegation to be involved in the investigation. They shouldn’t be involved at all. A lot of companies have policies in regards to a bad faith complaint, where the false accuser can face discipline, but depends on if it can be proved that it was made in bad faith and they weren’t just “wrong”. At minimum they should be saying the complaint was unfounded and you should be receiving that it writing that that was the result of the investigation. If they had found you guilty, or the complaint was founded and say you were terminated, based on how you’re describing the investigation process, they would have tee’d you up for a juicy lawsuit in your favor. I would follow up with HR or your manager to ask for resolution of this complaint in writing. Investigations are also supposed to be very confidential so if someone is talking about it to others, they can be in hot water for that.
If you really want an explanation and some possible form of closure from HR you can try talking to your manager and discussing with your HRBP if you have one.
I doubt you will get anywhere with these actions and at the end of the day HR is usually involved in promotions in some way so bringing this back up won’t make anything better just worse.
Your best bet is to move on from this and stay the fuck away from the crazy bitch that is known for getting wasted at company events and causing a scene. Generally idiots like this eventually leave the company after their rep has been ruined enough.
In the long run consider looking for a new job or at least update your resume and apply for some jobs to see what’s out there. This is a documented event and you never know how the perception can cause you to not be considered for promotions. A new job removes that risk.
Her boss is the head of marketing so i assume that is why that person was involved. It’s very strange and now how my company does things. It sounds like this was an unofficial “investigation,” not one that they expected to go anywhere.
If you want your boss involved, loop them in to the discussion about how to work with this person moving forward.
You’re never going to know if she was punished. I doubt they will punish her as there is probably no proof that you did it, and you can’t prove you didn’t touch her. It’s her word against yours, unfortunately.
The best thing to do is pull your manager in to the discussion and ask them for guidance.
The company can choose whomever they want to investigate complaints. If there was something said or done with regard to the complainant, you wouldn’t be told.
You “suspect” people know. But those people could know because the complainant told them prior to making a complaint. They could know because they were interviewed. Your suspicions could be wrong.
People who actually SH others sometimes get to keep their jobs. So expecting termination of someone because they made a complaint is unrealistic. If you don’t feel comfortable working with the person, you can speak to HR about your options.
There may be people out there thinking your are a bad guy.
What would undo that? You could file a civil suit to attempt to force the complainant to recount. But that’s going to make the entire situation way more public than it is now.
>I have been falsely accused, which is clearly demonstrated by the fact I have received no warning or reprimand
You would need more than the above conclusion to demonstrate wrongdoing in a civil suit.
Sadly, an unfounded claim doesn’t necessarily mean it was a false allegation. We often say there is a difference between what we believe happened and what we can prove happened. We can only take action on what we can prove happened.
I agree with the other advice to stay away from this employee at all costs. Be mindful in your interactions with other drunk employees too. It’s terrible when false allegations are made because it causes doubt in organizations for those with legitimate claims. I avoid one-on-one interactions when employees are impaired.
Good luck to you! People have short memories and if this is where this all ends, most won’t remember this in a few weeks.
Go complain to HR about having to work with someone who’s falsey accused you of a literal crime after you criticised their work, tell them you’re now uncomfortable being around them (and their manager).
Remind them that false accusations like this are a crime.