Defamation of character or possible slander???

[tnbrwneyez]

I don't know if I have a case or not, but here goes. I work in a rather large office with many women and VERY few men. One of the men in the office happens to be my supervisor. Him and I both have been going thru very rough times at home. Both of us are getting divorced and he has problems with his parents. We are very good friends, and we talk to each other quite a bit. Not intimately, or anything. Just venting to a friend on short walks (which MANY other people also do), or an occasional lunch. He has NEVER shown me any favoritism. He is not that kind of person and I would never ask anything like that. Apparently, several women have went to management and said that they thought that there was something going on between us. We have never behaved inappropriately toward each other, so I don't know where the rumors started. The best that we can see is that he has always been the golden boy in the office, ready to help anyone and always flirting. Well, he is stressed lately, so he has changed and everyone seems to think that it is because of me and "our affair". Now, management has spoken to him several times, telling him that he needs to change the way he spends time with me. So, we do not walk anymore, nor do we go to lunch together anymore. This has been going on for several months, and they finally brought me into the office to tell me to watch how I act around him, to keep rumors from developing. I do know some of the names of the people that have complained, so do I have any grounds to stand on when it comes to slander? There are many people in that office that do not like me and think that I only got a promotion because of how he feels about me. That is completely untrue and my work clearly shows that. Is there anything that I can do? We have completely changed our actions and everything on the whim of these jealous biddies in my office. Is there anything that I can do, against management, if someone decides to run in there and start more rumors? Can people start rumors like that and get away with it? I would SO greatly appreciate any help that I can get with this, because this has caused me so much stress.

Thanks

 

[Duranie]

Not sure if you have much of a legal problem, this seems more of an HR issue.

HR should discipline the people starting the rumours but they don't have too.

You really have no case. To prove slander you would have to prove a financial loss and malicious intent.

If HR does nothing about it then you can just quit and get another job.

Until then just ignore the rumours.

 

[calalily]

Hostile Work Environment

Duranie is right; it is an HR issue and you need to file a complaint that these women are creating a hostile work environment for you by spreading rumors and gossiping. If you do nothing and keep accepting the reprimands it could lead to your termination when these women continue to complain. So please, protect yourself with documentation; include the names you know in the complaint and include the reprimands by management. It's odd to me, that you would be told to stop your activities, rather than the people who are spreading the rumors being told to stop. When you say "they' went to "management," who is management exactly? Your boss's boss? Do you have an HR department (Human Resources)? Be prepared for management to be angry with you for going to HR. However, if there is retaliation (demoted, fired) because you filed a complaint then you have legal issues that may be able to be dealt with, with the help of an attorney. Good luck. Keep us posted on what happens.

 

[cbg]

A hostile work environment has a very specific meaning under the law and the situation described by the OP does not meet it.. It does not mean that the atmosphere is unpleasant; it means that the employee is being subjected to either sexual harassment or illegal discrimination under Title VII and related laws.

 

[calalily]

Question for CBG

If these women are accussing her falsely of "something going on with her boss" and spreading rumors, strictly because she is female and he is male doesn't that meet both requirements of hostile environment? Plus the statement the poster made about people saying she got promoted because of how her supervisor feels about her. This is all because she is a woman and her boss is a man. She's been reprimanded by higher ups based on what the gossip-mongers have said and told to "watch how she acts around him."
Sounds like a type of discrimination to me and that these co-workers are creating a hostile work environment verbally making sexual allegations about her. If she were male and a friend of the boss would the co-workers say the same things and accuse them of an affair and favoritism due to feelings? Probably not.

http://www.de2.psu.edu/harassment/legal/
Hostile environment sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome sexual conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual's job performance or creates a hostile, intimidating or offensive work environment even though the harassment may not result in tangible or economic job consequences, that is, the person may not lose pay or a promotion. Employers, supervisors, coworkers, customers, or clients can create a hostile work environment.

Hostile environment sexual harassment might include:

repeated requests for sexual favors
demeaning sexual inquiries and vulgarities
offensive language
other verbal or physical conduct of sexual or degrading nature
sexually offensive, explicit or sexist signs, cartoons, calendars, literature or photographs displayed in plain view
offensive and vulgar graffiti

The poster is being degraded by the sexual nature of the comments her co-workers are making to her boss and by their gossip to others.