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The company I'm contracted with has a very, VERY strict anti-harassment and misconduct policy, and it is reviewed yearly. I know close groups of employees will (usually) harmlessly shoot the breeze while working, or at least save the questionable stuff for when they're alone. But this past week I had to report 2-people. Even being contracted, we're bound by their rules. The first incident, I wasn't personally insulted, but seeing that half the workplace population is of Hispanic origin, they're probably lucky that I'm the one that heard it! In the second instance, there was no call for what was said in clear earshot of an entire shift on lunch break.
First, a couple of the cleaning guys were dragging a huge plastic bin. It was making a gods awful, ear-splitting, squeal. I was walking by and commented "Geeze, sounds like a tortured donkey!" One of the guys cracked "Yeah, we're having one of those Mexican sex parties back here!" I was sort of shocked and said that wasn't right to say and moved on. I let my boss and his know, but told them I just wanted him to remember that other people could have heard him and been really upset.
Second, in the kitchen of the cafeteria, it was mostly clear except for woman A, woman B, myself and a man who walked in at the tail-end. The women were talking about football and in a loud carrying voice woman A said "Oh I HATE the Giants, they're all Homo!" I was really shocked; that's not something you expect to hear here. I told my boss ASAP because I didn't know the name of the woman and to make sure that this was not some football term that I wasn't familiar with. He assured me it wasn't and we went to HR.
I'm afraid that people will think I, or Security, is out to get them, when in reality had these things been overheard by another employee, these people would be getting fired instead of just written up. I know things slip, or come out not sounding the way you intended them to, but in the 2nd case I think what she meant was pretty clear. And if I didn't report the conversations, and someone else did, I could have been accused of being involved in them. I feel like I caused the first incident; I should have made another analogy, but it REALLY did sound like a donkey.
First, a couple of the cleaning guys were dragging a huge plastic bin. It was making a gods awful, ear-splitting, squeal. I was walking by and commented "Geeze, sounds like a tortured donkey!" One of the guys cracked "Yeah, we're having one of those Mexican sex parties back here!" I was sort of shocked and said that wasn't right to say and moved on. I let my boss and his know, but told them I just wanted him to remember that other people could have heard him and been really upset.
Second, in the kitchen of the cafeteria, it was mostly clear except for woman A, woman B, myself and a man who walked in at the tail-end. The women were talking about football and in a loud carrying voice woman A said "Oh I HATE the Giants, they're all Homo!" I was really shocked; that's not something you expect to hear here. I told my boss ASAP because I didn't know the name of the woman and to make sure that this was not some football term that I wasn't familiar with. He assured me it wasn't and we went to HR.
I'm afraid that people will think I, or Security, is out to get them, when in reality had these things been overheard by another employee, these people would be getting fired instead of just written up. I know things slip, or come out not sounding the way you intended them to, but in the 2nd case I think what she meant was pretty clear. And if I didn't report the conversations, and someone else did, I could have been accused of being involved in them. I feel like I caused the first incident; I should have made another analogy, but it REALLY did sound like a donkey.
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