Show me your Assets ;-) ;-)

busy, busy, busy in the glass cube at the foot of the Zurich Prime Tower, for weeks. "Builders of a better working world" is the Slogan of the auditing company Ernst & Young (EY), and, probably, the Slogan has fit better. It comes to sexual harassment in the workplace, in the centre a member of staff to partner level and be dealing with young employees. A case from the year 2016 is on the record, as research by this newspaper showed. It is the image of a classic Case of sexual harassment: A Chef makes a subordinate advances. She rejects him, whereupon he begins to bully. Finally, you will be leaving the company.

He called her "Barbie", and you don't think it was particularly funny. First of all, but also not particularly alarming. She is young, blonde, attractive, back then, a 29-year-old Associate at the company. He has been a member of staff to partner level, then in the course of a power change, just promoted, 13 years older than you. We call him simply "boss". Until today, he is responsible for personnel, promotion and bonus processes, a function in which he has a lot to do with young people. The young woman, who we will call X., was working in may 2016, and since almost one and a half years in the company.

In the spring of 2016, it starts, indirectly, the "boss" to work. As a attractive young woman x. the approximation of knows of try, know how to parry polite. Usually, but not "chief". It starts with compliments, invitations to his boat on the lake of Zurich, comments on your figure, your complexion, your "Assets", even in front of colleagues. For example, he noted in the canteen, as you want to take a Sandwich, you should see: "Your character is not yet bikini-ready." 24. May 2016, and he ordered you by text message in a Café at the Central station, it goes to documents, to pass him. As he sits in the office next door, brings over X. him the papers directly. "Boss" annoyed, what intimidates X.. You want to keep to the rules, you don't want any Stress. But he asks you repeatedly to hand him the documents after office hours in a Bar, and she does. She writes to him, for example: "I won't have time for coffee, but don't worry, I'll bring the documents."

"asset = Breasts"

In may, he will begin to contact you via your mobile phone, in your spare time, even late at night. He calls her from a Taxi in Hong Kong and asks to speak with him, to entertain him, otherwise he'll call another employee. She responds, you have a lot to do, does not want to complain but, it is summer, 25 degrees. He: "25 degrees, a perfect opportunity to show your "Assets" in a skirt ;-) ;-)" of The investigation report from EY, in the this newspaper had insight into, and confirmed the accusation. There it is-explanatory: "Assets = Boobs".

at the beginning of June starts to strain the Situation X. more and more. She tries to "boss" polite to make it clear that you wish no inappropriate contact. This makes the Situation doubly awkward: The allegation of sexual harassment is heavy. EY declared, to maintain a zero-tolerance Policy regarding sexual harassment.

grasp begins As a "boss" to that X. feels harassed, he changes his behavior. Not for the Good. At the beginning of June 2016, as quoted by the "boss" X. in his office, to warn you: "don't Try to destroy my Reputation. If someone is leaving EY, then you, not I are," he threatens her, according to the investigation report. Repeatedly, she runs crying out of his office, which occupies at least a source. The unprofessional behavior continues, according to the report anyway. "Chief" ordered them to informal and private Meetings, where phrases like: "by the Way, I find it incredible that you don't want to have Sex with me." Or: "I could replace you immediately with any other employee." Thus, the allegation in the investigation report.

this is a classic history for sexual harassment in the workplace: don't Be reciprocated the advances, it flips the behavior quickly into bullying, the employee is made ill. In the result, it tries to avoid X. to be alone with "the boss" in the office, and if, then only with the open glass door.

in mid-July of 2016, there is x and goes to a psychiatrist. A certificate, in the this newspaper had insight, confirmed a strong psychological load, which does not allow the patient out for medical reasons, to return to their jobs. However, "other work Mrs X. would be 100% able to work." In August 2016, X. is addressed to the competent authority, the Department of Human Resources (HR), at the end of August ushers in EY an investigation. Will be entrusted with the layer only in August eingesetzteHR-in-chief. As one of the first acts of this is to clarify the allegations against his superiors, brought him to this Position.

Relevant is the case because the "boss", should be entered according to various Reports on the Blog "Inside Paradeplatz" women continue to close, and there have not been more incidents. The reports were commented on after their appearance in October 2018 and busy, with hundreds of comments, obviously from EY employees. It is also an anonymous Whistleblower letter that confirms the problems with this employee, and in the EY-Switzerland-Chef Bruno Chiomento prompted to finally start something.

Amicably?

EY is not to argue the case. In several conversations, which led this newspaper with the media – one with a "boss", appeared different explanation strategies. First of all, it was said that the case was a "consensual affair between adults". Of course, the woman had stood in a relationship of dependence, but it is not the task of the company, to intervene.

Then you corrected that it was not an affair, but only "mutual communication". Also in terms of the disposal agreement, there are different versions of it. The official Statement reads: "EY goes after the course of assigned internal and external messages in any case. Just as the America-based network company, we take allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace very seriously. In the aforementioned case, we have carried out a thorough forensic investigation, in the result of no open questions remained, and the harassment allegation has been proved as wrong."

Now only the allegations of sexual harassment are no longer a subject, but also the way you deal with Ernst & Young. After "Inside parade reported place" in mid-October for the first time about the allegations against "chief" and there had been hundreds of comments on it, locked EY its employees access to the Blog, and sued the journalist. Internally, EY communicated to its partners, the story was a consensual affair between adults.

in mid-October of 2016 was completed, the investigation in case X.. The investigation report stated: "What concerns ambiguous and explicit text messages, was missing it from both sides of exemplary behavior." X. not returned to work, because it was possible for you, as long as the "boss", work there. In September 2016, was offered at a finish of a six-month wages. You are required to do this, four additional months, as "compensation for personal suffering and satisfaction".

The company paid by the end of 2016, actually ten months ' wages, plus holiday compensation – a very generous severance package for an employee who worked only two years in the company. The company had for the payment of their own justification. In the investigation report from EY says: "The financial package was defined with the goal that you can search without any financial Worries for a new job." "Chief" got a warning, in January 2017, he was promoted anyway.

Not a simple case of illness

At the time of the affair existed at EY in Zurich there are no separate guidelines on sexual harassment. In the meantime, the company has made, and today it is called: "Who is convicted of sexual harassment or bullying, may be dismissed. Anyone who makes false accusations, it will suffer the same consequences." In the case of X. neither "chief were dismissed" X.. A strong indication to search which side of the misconduct, lies in the disposal agreement. It would have been the "case X." a simple case of illness, this would have been handled that way. However, the ten months ' wages, plus holiday compensation was paid out by EY directly, and there is no indication that these sum of the daily sickness benefit insurance has been accepted.

insiders say today, the "case X." had been the only case of sexual harassment in the year 2016. The EY leadership denies this. In the glass cube, busy, busy, busy.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 11.12.2018, 19:00 Uhr