Customer Reviews

Internal Affairs: The Abuse of Power, Sexual Harassment, and Hyprocrisy in the Workplace

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Best aspect of the book: it's realistic. An amazing number of self-help books have begun to deny that harassment and discrimination exist, or they say, "You can prevent harassment with a positive attitude." Neville shows us that harassment is pervasive. This is the only book I've seen that acknowledges the willingness of corporations to look the other way. A top producer who gets caught will be protected as part of the cost of doing business. She also shows the reasons for false claims, all of which boil down to insensitivity and poor management. Two weaknesses. Clinton's story is a distraction here. The vast majority of harassed women do not (I suspect) flirt like Monica did. Politicans and athletes do move in a different world; while I don't condone the behavior, I'd rather focus on the more mundane corporate and academic worlds that more women face. Second, I'm left with a feeling of helplessness. Realistically, a person who complains must resign or be transferred. Many companies pay off complainants as a cost of doing business -- leaving the aggressor free to pursue other targets. Sometimes he's even promoted to show the company never believed the story -- and women who report to him are caught between a rock and a hard place. Neville deals with some of the complexities and unspoken issues more than most, but I wish she'd gone just a little further.

No need for me to worry about someone helping me write a book because you have included all areas that I would like to spread to the victims of this behavior in the workplace. I would like a suggestion on what method I might use to recommend this to people who do not know where to turn when they have been victimized by a large corporation. I have been in some type of negotiation about a coworker exposing himself in the workplace, admitting it,management promising to do what I asked (1)move the person away from public contact as he had access to customers and especially children ages 5 to 12. (2)require serious counseling for his problem (3) I never wanted to see him again. These were easily and readily available solutions for Delta Airlines as they are a worldwide company. The psychiatrist the company sent him to opined that he "didn't think he was a threat to society--that was his "gesture of good will" and "his way of saying hello". His counseling was one hour. He was suspended without pay one month. He is still working there. The second assault was him hugging me when the company put us in the same area in March 1993. I haven't worked since, have PTSD, major depression and have been in litigation since that time. I won through the EEOC, Magistrate Judge, Senior Judge, won summary judgement against Delta. They appealed and another judge overturned the case. We are in the appeals court, all briefs in, one former judge went to state attorney job, the senior judge is dead. I can only pray that the three appeals judges will allow me my day in court. In the past the company routinely discriminated in many ways and always challenged anyone who spoke of litigation that they could just go ahead and sue that they have the judges, courts in their pocket. They contend that they are powerful and have enough money to stop any litigation against them. I have 30 years with the company and I am sickened when I think of the hard work I provided and they could care less if I or any other of their victimized employees die. I have documents to prove my statements. This book is the reality of many companies behavior today. I want a public relations professional and would be grateful if I could reach the author, Kathleen Neville. Either way the court decision goes I would go pubic with the facts of my case and the nightmare women and men still have seeing justice. Thank you for an informative and well written, factual book. -Becky