THE COMPETENT EMPLOYEE (CONCLUSION) Recall that Ms. Conner requested that the personnel manager investigate her complaints, and he found no merit to her complaint. As a result, she filed a civil...

THE COMPETENT EMPLOYEE (CONCLUSION)

Recall that Ms. Conner requested that the personnel manager investigate her complaints, and he found no merit to her complaint. As a result, she filed a civil action against SBI based on the treatment she endured. The judgment was in her favor, awarding her more than $500,000 in damages. 134 Clearly, much of this award was based on the hostile environment created by her managers and co-workers. However, consider the costs of simply going to court: time required for managers to get records together, preparations for trial, and legal representation. This potential expense alone is reason enough to motivate organizations to pay attention to such issues and provide appropriate training to see that it does not happen. But even more important are the ethics of fair treatment and the potential loss of a productive employee.