CAREER COACH GO TO GREG
I saw your answer to the question, “My boss may not be Harvey Weinstein, but . . . ” and I think you were too quick to jump on the boss and support the feminist bandwagon. Of course, women should be free from sexual harassment in the workplace, but the writer didn’t state any conduct that is unlawful. The women I work with are somewhere between brilliant and semi-brilliant, but not a week goes by when I don’t roll my eyes over dumb comments. Should I be sent to HR?
No, because it doesn’t sound like sending you to HR would help. Here’s a message to all those who roll their eyes . . . If you can’t simply take my comment that “no one should be subjected to unprofessional, inappropriate, disrespectful conduct, whether it crosses the threshold of unlawful conduct or not,” and leave it at that, then just keep your mouth shut. It’s really not difficult. I think most men and women know the difference between normal, respectful conduct between adults and lecherous behavior. “Hey, would you like to grab a drink sometime?” is very different from “Hey, let me grab your crotch sometime!” Clear?
My company is offering buyout packages ahead of anticipated layoffs. I am considering taking one, but I am concerned how a future prospective employer will react to my volunteering to leave my previous job as opposed to getting laid off.
There are lots of things to be concerned about in one’s career, but how a prospective employer might view your desire to accept a buyout versus getting laid off is not one of them. Buyouts and layoffs are so common now that one doesn’t register as a more or less “positive” way to have your employment end. Terminations for poor performance (or worse) are the only things that concern employers. Your decision should be based only on your personal circumstances — do you want to leave your employer? Do you think there is a good chance you will be laid off anyway? Is the voluntary buyout better than the redundancy package? I can’t answer any of those questions for you, but they are the only ones you should be considering.