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Sexual Harassment In The Workplace

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
NETWORKING SOCIAL

Knowing Your Rights

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Fishbone's, Southfield —
on the outdoor patio!
Join Michigan Association for Female
Entrepreneurs (MAFE) at our Business After
Hours Networking Social. Network with
business professionals in a relaxed and casual
environment and enjoy complimentary
appetizers and a cash bar. Bring plenty of
business cards! Cost: Free for MAFE members,
$20 for non-members, $35 at the door. For
more information, http://www.mafedetroit.org .

Where to go for Help:

Michigan Department of Civil
Rights
(800) 482-3604

U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
McNamara Bldg., 8th Floor
477 Michigan Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 226-7636

Today's work environment is by no means
a cookie-cutter model. The myriad of
corporations and small businesses that one
could work for opens the door to various
work atmospheres. Corporate/conventional.
Business casual. Social. Artistic. Laid-back.
There are so many directions to go in
nowadays, not only in terms of dress code,
but also in relation to general behavior and
conduct between employees.
Over the last two decades, social behavior
has become extremely lax in conversation
and physical encounters as both males and
females have lowered their expectations
when being approached and engaged with
each other. These behaviors then translate
into the corporate world, yet we are some-
what surprised and offended when the
inappropriate act happens in our own circle.
A woman can't walk in to an office
dressed for her bar night that evening, ask
the copy guy for a few extra office supplies
(using dramatization for effect) and then
expect to not get the "hot girl" stare in the
hallway. Similarly, a man cannot post his
weekend in Vegas pictures publicly to his
Facebook and expect his co-workers to be
able to separate his seriousness of purpose at
work from his off-hours goofing around.
Our generation is in serious need of
prescription glasses to correct our blurry
vision when it comes to mixing the bound-
aries between personal and professional life.
Especially when our work atmosphere is
informal, interpreting the culture accurately
is difficult, and when we do overstep, we
have little experience with how to fix our
wrongdoings.
So how does it happen? What are the
warning signs, if any? Where can you go
for help?
Know your rights. The Michigan
Department of Civil Rights states, "sexual
harassment is when someone makes you

think you'll get in trouble or lose your job,
or be discriminated against in obtaining or
benefiting from public accommodations,
public services, employment, education
or housing, if you do not give in to their
sexual advances or put up with their sexual
remarks."
Furthermore, the Equal Rights Advocates
(ERA) explains that the definition of sexual
harassment includes, "unwelcome verbal,
visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature
that is severe or pervasive and affects work-
ing conditions or creates a hostile work
environment."
Sexual harassment is not exclusive to a
man harassing a woman, although this is
the most common case. Victims can range
in gender and age, including men sexually
harassed my women, women
sexually harassed by women, and men
sexually harassed by men.
What are the steps you should take?
Make sure the person knows that these
advances are not welcome. Often the harass-
er will think that you are playing games
with each other, are also interested and these
advances are welcome. Be clear that you are
uncomfortable. Tell them that if the
advances do not stop you will tell someone
else or possibly take legal action.
Don't feel like you need to keep quiet. A
big problem in today's society is that every-
one gets away with their behavior because
we say either "they deserved it" or "I did
something wrong." Neither is true! If you
feel like something is wrong or out of sorts,
it probably is. Trust your gut, speak up and
get out of the situation quickly. Talk to a
peer or co-worker you trust for advice if you
feel comfortable.
For additional information about sexual
harassment, specifically in the work place,
and material cited in this article, visit www.
michigan.gov/mdcr or www.equalrights.org .

Michigan Employment
Security Agency
7310 Woodward
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 876-5000

Michigan Women's Commission
Michigan National Tower
124 W. Allegan St.
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 373-2884

SMALL BUSINESS LOAN
WORKSHOP

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 9 a.m,-noon
Oakland County Business Center, 2100
Pontiac Lake Road, Bldg. 41 West,
Waterford
Getting a small business loan can be a
challenging process. Learn the "5 C's of
Credit," how to develop a winning loan
proposal and what you need to know to
position your business to be "bankable" before
you meet with a lender. Cost: $20. For more
information, contact Karen Deaver-Lear,
(248) 858-0783, deaver-leark@oakgov.com or
http://www.oakgov.com/peds/calendar/index.html.

ACCOUNTING 101:
BACK TO THE BASICS

HIRE ME

MICHIGAN RESIDENT

• Jaimee Wine, 24
• Current City: Orchard Lake
• Degree/University attended: B.A.
Advertising and Public Relations,
Michigan State University
• Desired Field of Employment:
Public Relations/Event Planning
• Skills: Program/event planning and
development, organization with
logistics, social media
communications; leader and
volunteer within the community:
experience with young adults,
special needs and elderly
• Contact information:
jaimeewine@gmail.com
(248) 770-7643

E-mail all submissions to
Rachel Lachover,
rlachover@thejewishnews.com .

The Southeastern Michigan Jewish Alliance T. is not pre-
screening, recommending or endorsing any persons. This
tool should be used as a method of networking and sharing
opportunities.

Friday, Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
New Horizon's Learning Center, Livonia
Learn key concepts behind the science
of accounting, enabling you to manage
the processing of business transactions
and interpret reports with ease. No previ-
ous knowledge or training required. Topics
include explanations of common terminology,
overviews of business financial statements,
double-entry accounting using debits and
credits, what the financial statements say
about your business, and more.
For more information,
www.technologyinabox-training.com .

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
WEBINAR

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Online-Web-based
What's Social Networking All About? What's
the Return on Investment (R01)? Learn about
the fundamentals of social networking,
fundamentals about Twitter, Facebook,
Linkedln, advantages and disadvantages of
social networking, the three Cs to successful
social networking, understanding new media
versus traditional media, what's the Return
on Engagement (ROE) and what's the ROI.
Cost: $19.99. For more information, contact
Nipa Shah, (248) 470-6299, or
www.jenesysgroup.com .

If you would like to submit any events, information or would like to be featured in our section, please contact Rachel Lachover at (248) 351-5156 or
rlachover@thejewishnews.com . JOIN US ON FACEBOOK; search our group name and fan page "SE MICHIGAN JEWISH ALLIANCE"

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August 19 • 2010

