(OP’s comment)
I’ve been in contact with quite a few LMG employees. Many have given me statements about the abuse and sexual harassment Madison endured while working there.
One of them also gave me a recording of this meeting that was never supposed to be released. This is my proof that I have talked to LMG employees and have sources inside. I post this as verification of that fact.
I cannot out these people or give direct quotes out of fear they will suffer consequences, but I hope they come forward publicly even if it means risking their careers.
I can tell you their accounts match hers. And even go into further detail. One person constantly was mentioned more than others, but she’s not naming names so I won’t either.
She is telling the truth.
This meeting kinda goes along with how she mentioned her being sexually harassed was regarded as he causing drama.
Uhh really? Points number two and three could easily be interpreted as: “Don’t be oversensitive” and “Don’t believe the allegations of overly sensitive people”. Added to that, the statement that they do not “solve” interpersonal relationships rather than leave your interpersonal relationships outside of the workplace followed by the “anonymous” report forum that apparently existed without anyone’s knowledge? How would you feel if you heard “we don’t solve interpersonal problems but feel free to come to us with feedback.”? Followed by James’ inappropriate joke with zero response from the top management that were both present…
I’ve done so many years worth of manager training in California. One of the big things they drill into your head is you should always tell anybody to report things to HR or their manager, never “well did you first try to hash it out with the person harassing you?”
They said they don’t solve interpersonal problems with water cooler gossiping. It’s a long confusing sentence so I don’t blame you for missing that.
It sounds like you don’t have much experience in a white collar workplace.
2 and 3 are pretty standard rumor control parameters. And it is true, no workplace is in the business of solving interpersonal conflict, but what he’s speaking to is just lower-level things amounting to just not liking someone, not real problems like abuse or harassment.
He’s minimizing it. If it were truly just about low level gossip and ‘not liking someone’ they wouldn’t have this meeting.
Huge, huge difference between “ we understand that it can feel intimidating, but please speak to your manager, HR, or our third party service if you have a problem, as speaking with anyone else about the issue is actually counterproductive.” And “what does it say about the kind of person someone is, that they’d gossip about a coworker?” (Especially with the context that the “gossip” is a report of mistreatment)
Well, now that you mention it, the only place where I have had white collar HR meetings like this one was when I worked in the midwest for half a decade. The upper management team there were, coincidentally, the worst rumor mongers and also choose to run all of these in person verbal HR meetings acting in the place of HR. That was also the only environment I’ve been in where the best place to get a promotion or new job opportunities was on the golf course or at the Hooters where the upper management team frequented. Matches up pretty closely with Madison’s experience huh?
All of my other experiences have been east coast based companies where HR just sends out long statements in legalese and had you sign to acknowledge receipt. There were certainly no ambiguous statements in those.