Shocking double standards over abusive workplace insults

In what world is it acceptable for a man to describe his female colleague as “fucking” during an argument at work?

The world we have created, apparently according to an industrial tribunal.

A world where words and terms once considered ugly blasphemy have become lingua franca and those who object are expected to accept it.

Be careful what you wish for. How quickly the F-word went from a shocking, frightening, redundant word to everyday language; Not so long ago, punctuation for the inarticulate (idiots who had a hard time speaking without swearing or shocking) was completely allowed in the workplace.

Unless, of course, your workplace is a Westminster bubble where swearing at a worker breaches Parliament’s bullying and harassment policy.

Two simultaneous cases this week showed that there is a double standard in society.

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson has been ordered to apologize for breaching Parliament’s bullying and harassment policy after he twice “verbally insulted” a guard when asked to show his pass while trying to enter the Parliament building in November 2023.

Anderson initially denied the allegations and said the investigation was biased, but later admitted to using inappropriate language, citing “difficult personal circumstances” on the day.

Following the decision of the Independent Expert Panel, Anderson apologized to the Commons and the civil servant.

Meanwhile, 200 miles away in Manchester, tribunal judge Jetinder Shergill ruled this week that the sacking of a delivery driver for calling a female colleague “fucking” during an argument about her weight was unfair dismissal. The F-word is so common in public, especially in the north of England, that I include this warning.

No, the north is not a home of blasphemy; All other regions are also very good at this.

The woman, who said she felt “violated and shocked” and broke down in tears after the “aggressive” attack during a conversation about joining a weight-loss club and donuts, reported him to Booker’s management, which led to his dismissal.

She said he also told her: “No wonder it takes 19 weeks to lose a stone. “It didn’t take me 19 weeks.”

But the judge ruled against his dismissal and the driver will now receive compensation after ruling that the workplace was full of comments including that it was “lawless and toxic” and that there was a “dysfunctional” team of managers who were “part of the problem”. said the judge. He said dismissing without warning was “harsh” and unfair.

Presumably the assumption here is that we all have a choice about where we work, and if the woman doesn’t like the culture where such insults are completely normal, she should leave it or challenge the culture and try to change from within.

The judge said: “Swearing is unacceptable in a workplace, although common day-to-day experience, particularly in the north, is that the F-word is used quite frequently in public.”

What about the insult thrown at the woman? Does this mean that because he accepted a job at work, he should accept what he is told or resign?

In this case, the message appears to be that the driver should be given a warning and not dismissed for the ‘offence’, and the decision goes against management rather than condoning the behaviour.

But the real message is that in businesses that have developed their own toxic culture, unless you are protected within the Westminster bubble, everyone in that culture should accept and expect unacceptable behaviour. This can never be true.

It’s a troubling precedent at best; in reality, a shocking decline in standards and expectations. We should not despair.

Before dawn on Tuesday, during a short break in Southwold, my phone started buzzing with messages from friends.

How can this happen? It has been asked again and again. What were the Americans thinking?

Kamala Harris became the second woman to lose a presidential election to Donald J. Trump in a country that is clearly not ready for a female president.

Many men and women, and I find this particularly confusing, want a leader who is bigoted and misogynistic. They want an openly sexist nation and are happy with the outcome.

It’s a tough and difficult pill to swallow, but it’s true.

Now the rest of the world needs to react to what Trump says and does. Other nations do not need to accept his attitude.

We don’t have to travel and spend our money in a country that accepts such views of its president.

heartbreaking case

It was heartbreaking to read how Norwich dog groomer Hayley Butcher died after undergoing weight loss surgery in Turkey.

At the age of 40 he felt gastric sleeve surgery was his only option and all went well for him to fly back to the UK just two days after the surgery.

But complications of intestinal perforation and anastomotic leakage, discovered after he fell ill in England, led to his death last month.

The investigation may reveal why this beautiful woman, who was happy, lucky, compassionate and constantly worried about others, felt that she had to resort to the risk of having surgery abroad, but what a tragic loss of life, promise and love.

Often, the seemingly happiest and most compassionate people mask their own unhappiness in some parts of their lives. Hello Hayley.