I was going to post this in the General forum since it doesn’t deal with religion or politics, but I can see where this might go, and not necessarily where it might end. Anyway, in one of my more pensive moments, I think I’ve come up with a cost effective, common sense alternative to diversity training. For those who don’t work at a large company or for the government, here’s how sensitivity training works: You take all people at the company and teach them to not be offensive to those “sensitive” individuals who may be around you. But, 99.9+% of the people you deal with are not the sensitive types who go around looking for something to be offended by. It’s a huge waste of time and money. My alternative is to only process those “sensitive” individuals and teach them not to be such pansies. That way, you reduce lost time overall by two or three orders of magnitude by training only those who need it. And everyone in the office doesn’t have to walk on eggshells all the time.

I’m not implying that racism, sexual harassment and other types of aberrant behavior don’t exist in the work place. It’s just that it’s way overstated. Every person I’ve known in the workplace who was a jerk was an equal opportunity jerk to all types of people.

By the way, I think the sensitivity training has gotten to me. I now park next to Chevies and even talk to people who own GM products.

 

You offended me!!! Just kidding. Training is nothing more than a severe over-reaction to the past. When someone has a genuine problem in the work place, it should be dealt with. But i think instead of making everyone take tests and watch videos on how not to harass your coworkers, they should just teach better reporting to the offended. I believe that genuine issues should be dealt with, but not at everyone else's expense (especially the company). Companies just fear expensive lawsuits from disgruntled ex-employees looking to get back at them. Should a company be forced to constantly moniter the acts of their employees? I think the Feds are way out on this one - since it is their crappy harassment laws.

 

WAIT!!! you mean I'm not supposed to harass my co-workers???? That's it,, I Quit!!

 

...D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. about sensitivity training....just kidding...
...er...maybe Im not...are you offended??...Should I be offended???...If your not offended then Im not offended...but if your offended I be offended too...
...What were we talking about???

 

I, for one, am offended that you aren't offended, but if you are offended then I am just plain offensive. And I can live with that

 

This forum is offensive. Everyone needs to stop being so offensive. Furthermore, the color scheme on the FTE site is blue and white right now. We need to change this for the Smurf-Americans who might find it offensive.

 

I'm offended that all 8 of your cylinders are working, blue. Not a worn lobe by the looks it. I'm also offended that the Smurf-Americans won't speak up for themselves. Unless, of course, you are part of this minority, and therefore offensive by virtue. We need some flames on the FTE logo so we can offend water lovers.

 

yeah mikeman ... I agree.... too much sensitivity to those who don't need it. I'm all for equallity in the workplace but gimma a break. I listen to a christian radio station in my office (the very back corner of the building...you only get there if you intend to). I was told I couldn't listen to it anymore because it offended some. I told them that what some of the others were listening to offended me...some mainstream music can be very sexual explicit, very racial and so on....they told me that article 9 of the civil rights code prevented me listening to christian music....what a crock..I read thru it and NOWHERE did it say anything anywhere near that...it basically dealt with equality in the hiring process and equal opportunities for all employees. I took this to them and they agreed, said they were wrong and sense then have left me alone.

If people don't stand up for their right, because somebody around them is offended...it won't be long before nothing is acceptable. We recently went thru sensitivity training and our HR director asked what we could do to prevent it....I said "I believe that anybody at anytime anywhere in the workplace could be offended at something." we have a very open, joking, fun-loving office environment...and I told her "anybody here could sue for sexual harrassment or any other kind of harrassment at anytime and probably win...she seemed to disagree.

 

America has become the Land of the Sensitive, and the Home of the Easily Offended.

The sensitivity training is good, but people can go overboard with it trying to attract attention to themselves, for either fame or money. Mostly money I think. All in all, I think its just a bunch of bull**** and I think there needs to be TOLERANCE over sensitivity. Just my two cents, its worth less than really.

 

I agree Cheifman. People are whining more and more easily. I think it all comes down to this. Years ago, when you were confronting someone, you'd challenge them to a draw (guns). Years later, you were asked to step outside for a brawl (fist fight).

NOW, you are asked to go to court (paper fight).

So, tomorrow, I'm going to test drive a ferrari. I'm going to get a speeding ticket, and sue Ferrari for making a car that goes beyond the speed limit (except the Autobahn). LOL.

 

Office scenario; female office worker has the hots for the guy down the hall and puts on her best aluring attire and demeanor, unfortunately the wrong fish takes the bait and digusting man is attracted and makes his move. Now if she had caught the man of her intentions it would have been romance but when the wrong fish takes the bait it is sexual harassment. So all the self proclaimed hot chicks or other females cruising the halls looking for love, need their own brand of training on how to properly send signals.

 

Where I work, if you can't take a joke or dish it out your probably not going to make it. We all respect eachother but we all give it to one another at some time. Even the sales guy comes down and gets into it. Our customer service lady doesn't care, she knows that its all in fun.

Now another office lady will dish it out to almost anyone but as soon as you give it back to her she cries foul. Double standard that ruins it for everyone. I'm actually tired of having to go to management training seminars for things like this. I even went to one on how to fire someone (they called it, personell management). Its how to not offend someone and keep them happy as you let them know there done. Yeah right.

 

Yuppies

 

This is one of the main reasons I will never again work in an "office" environment that I am not at the top of the ladder of. As a rule, I don't hire people that seem even slightly like this,,, and YES!! I am discrimanting against them. I Am Offended by them. And that is My right. Way too much inter-office drama, politics, and flat-out nuisance. Now this is just my opinion,,, but it seemed to me, through the different office experiences I got, that the ones that usually caused these kinds of problems were drama queens and kings. Those that really don't have much of a life beyond work, and thus feel the need to incoporate as much of their life as they can into the workplace, on all levels. It's rather sad, to me, that they are so starved for attention that they will do/say anything just to be noticed. Calling foul, as 13honda put it, seems to be the easiest way to get that attention these days because of the harassment boom. I think anyone who starts a false accusation as such should be made to do some community service on a construction crew,,, and find out what Real harassment is like,, in all forms. Hell, I've seen "men" come and go within hours because they couldn't take it. Tolerance is the key, well put Chiefman. As the world gets more cushioned, our skins become thinner. It seems everyone is losing sight of the basic teachings of the old sticks and stones saying that we were taught as kids to defend ourselves against such attacks. Even as adults, it still applies. Long overdue for these foolish people to grow up and start acting like adults.

 

geez...when does it end?