‘Am I short-term or long-term?’

10 Feb, 2017 - 00:02 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Catherine Murombedzi

POWER in the workplace at times ends in sexual harassment. People occupying senior positions often hold power than people in lower positions.

It is often seen that power can be abused as those with power make demands on people with less power.

The demands can be sexual and unwanted. However, we see that some of the demands can be entertained by the person in lower position as a way to attain favours from the senior person.

Most workplaces have a code of conduct which states the Do’s and Don’ts at the workplace.

Sexual harassment involves unwelcome sexual jokes, rude gestures, requests for sex or glares which can be offensive.

The Labour Relations Act takes care of sexual harassment in the workplace and has measures in place.That is only if one complains.

Please take note, not all sexual demands are unwanted. Some are even encouraged by the junior person. Both men and women may use sex to get ahead on the promotion ladder.

A workplace relationship is good when it lasts and not in the open. The moment it becomes public knowledge with a partner to one of the involved raising dust, then it becomes an embarrassment.

My concern is that here are two consenting adults who fully know that what they are doing is wrong when the ‘affair’ is exposed the woman takes the scalp of the blame.

Sexual relationships between co-workers always impact on other work mates. It then even becomes worse when the receiver gets unwarranted favours ahead of competent workmates.

It is for this reason that we find tension existing and in the end if the involved parties are married, a workmate then decides to secretly inform the cheated spouse that there is an office romance taking place.

Speaking to men and women who work in the food and tourism industry, they confirm that abuse exists.

Most of the workers in that industry have contracts and the workers end up worshiping seniors who have the power to select who comes back or has contract terminated.

A female who works for a fast food outlet said she finishes work at 10pm, but knocks off from the premises at 11pm. She has to be cleared after handing in the cash and by the time she is ready to leave the workplace, it is a challenge to get home safely.

“I finish work at 10pm, but actually I leave the premises an hour later. By that time, transport to my home will be a problem. I end up accepting transport from senior personnel, but this comes with sexual demands and it is sad,” said the youthful female.

Social media where everyone becomes an instant publisher has been awash with pictures of the not so lucky when caught on the wrong sides.

Most of the images are inexplicable showing a person caught in the wrong side having been beaten up and left naked.

When such a scenario takes place, it complicates the working relationships.

Talking to Josh Ncube who went through a similar experience was an eye-opener.

“My sister, it is not always that men are the seducers. The junior workers can show signs of flirting and being the weak one, like a fish is caught. It then becomes difficult to stop, but in most places, the sexual relationship is consensual and becomes a web difficult to end.

It becomes nasty when caught and one regrets ever starting it,” said Ncube.

“I was caught red-handed after going out with a married person for two years. In shame I resigned and I have not been able to secure a good paying job and I regret that,” he added.

Women in senior positions are also found enticing the younger generation of their male counterparts.

Before one is involved in a workplace affair, one has to look at the consequences which are usually hair raising when still a secret.

The ugly comes out when it gets into the public domain. When it becomes public as seen above, one may be forced to resign in shame.
Society usually condones extra-marital affairs by males and when an office romance becomes public issue, the female is blamed.

One would think that the man was a minor not to even be mentioned. It then appears acceptable for the man to have had an office romance and it was the fault of the woman in the web.

Office romance has at times resulted in a baby being born. This then shows that there was no protection used and it is unfair for the spouse who is in the dark who raises a child of the union unknowingly.

A sexual network is then formed because it involves three or more people. That is how sexual transmitted infections, the human papilloma virus and HIV spread.

The one who wields power is usually not satisfied by having one extra-marital affair. It becomes an intricate issue when junior and attractive personnel join the organisation. The older person in the affair is then dropped and there will be tension.

Workplace relationships are never long term. They are short term affairs and end with nasty outcome. One involved in a workplace affair can decide to end before it gets in the public domain serving oneself the embarrassment.

Everyone is responsible for the actions, be at home or work. Take a reflection at your own working life see if you can give yourself a clean bill.

HIV is higher in the heterosexual unions. Marriage is no longer a safe haven. New HIV infections find their way in the sexual networks.

Mr Amon Mpofu, the National Aids Council monitoring and evaluation director, speaking last year in Murehwa, said long gone was the time when marriage was a safe institution.

“New HIV infections are higher in married people as compared to sex workers or even the singles,” said Mr Mpofu.

“HIV prevalence is at 45 percent in married people where we expect it to be low. So couples have to consider using condoms because marriage is no longer that safe haven that it was assumed to be long back,” said Mr Mpofu.

It is never too late stop an office affair. When it gets public it gets really public and nasty. Take stock, there is no gain in workplace relationships.

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