Does your Company hold an annual Holiday party?

[PJMcK]

10. A holiday office party story that seems appropriate this year

For about fifteen years, I worked out of a major music company's offices in New York. Their headquarters was in Los Angeles and I would frequently work there when I was in California. One of the office assistants was assigned to me and she was great to work with. She was smart, funny and took care of things promptly. She was a very attractive young woman who taught Yoga on the weekends on the beach in Santa Monica. We had a good professional friendship.

The company's CEO was a notorious womanizer even though he was married with children. At the company's holiday party, where the booze was flowing, he started schmoozing this young lady. She went along with his advances right up till he crossed a line. She sued for sexual harassment and was awarded $3 million!

Then the corporate lawyers showed up at all of the company's offices. Every officer from Assistant VP on up was required to take anti-harassment/sexual sensitivity training because of the CEO's behavior. His big slap on the wrist was that he had to forfeit his $1 million annual bonus that year.

Since I was a consultant and not an employee I wasn't involved but it has always struck me that the CEO pretty much got away with his criminal behavior. This tale has been informative on more than one occasion since then.