In 2017, a dentist takes his assistant on a three-day training trip to the US,making unwanted sexual advances. That completely torpedoes the workingrelationship. After returning, relations soured even further and the womanspent years at home sick. Ultimately, the court dissolves the employmentcontract. In addition, the dentist must pay his former assistant a severancepayment of 112,000 euros due to seriously culpable conduct.
2. Flew out
An internship supervisor of the Royal Netherlands Air Force loses his jobafter an intern has filed a complaint against him. The man makes the youngwoman feel unsafe by making inappropriate comments and sexual jokes formonths, but also by kicking her buttocks and massaging her shoulders. The manthinks that is innocent, but his employer and the judge think otherwise. Aftermore than thirty years of service, the lieutenant first class loses his job.
3. Tongue in ear
A policeman thinks he is ‘playing around’ a bit when he sticks his tongue inthe ear of a female colleague in the car during a shift. She does not likethis and complains to her employer. The man denies the incident, but is unableto convince his employer, the court and the Central Appeals Board. It does notwork in his favor that the policeman has already been reprimanded for sexualharassment. The police chief may put the man on the street without severancepay.
4. Failed million dollar claim
A director of a branch of storage giant DSV in Moerdijk indulges in sexuallytransgressive behavior. An investigation following an employee complaintyields a laundry list of inappropriate comments and touching. The man says hedoes not recognize himself in the image, but acknowledges that he jokes abouteverything. When his employer wants to evict him, he speaks of ‘a smearcampaign’ and demands 1.1 million euros in severance payments. He gets nothingfrom the subdistrict court judge.
5. Tie off
A sales trainer at stationery retailer 123Inkt repeatedly makes sexuallysuggestive remarks to a female colleague. For example, during a smoke break heasks her how she is in bed. When there is no answer, he says: “You seem like afeisty one. One of those who can lift you up and throw you down on the bed tohave hard sex with.” According to the man, that fits in with the companyculture; After all, 123Inkt calls itself ‘a company where you can take offyour tie’. The subdistrict court is of the opinion that this means somethingelse; the man loses his job and can whistle for a severance payment.
6. Cheek or Mouth?
On the way out, a 63-year-old automation employee of technology companyFujitsu in De Meern has a quick chat with the receptionist. At the end ofthat, he tries to kiss her. His employer summarily dismisses the man, but theman objects to this. According to the almost retired it’er, he did not want tokiss the receptionist on the mouth, but only wanted to give a goodbye kiss onthe cheek. After the subdistrict court judge has given the green light for thedismissal, the man will appeal.
7. Lick to leg
During a company outing on Terschelling, an employee of a construction companymakes a faux pas by lifting the leg of a female colleague, while making alicking motion. He apologizes a day later, but that does not prevent him frombeing put on hold by the construction company for transgressive behaviour. Anattempt to get his work back has failed for the time being before thesubdistrict court in Leiden.
8. Notifications after ski trip
A manager of an Amsterdam company is also put on hold after reports have beenmade of transgressive behavior, including during a ski trip of the company.However, during an investigation into the case, the allegedly involvedemployees keep their lips tight. Therefore, the manager can return again. Theemployer only wants to let the man work again under strict conditions, but thesubdistrict court rejects this because misconduct has not been proven.
9. Young at heart
A 51-year-old manager who has just started working for a large restaurantchain thinks he can entertain his often younger female colleagues by tellingthem stories about his love life. In doing so, he emphasizes that his datesare often much younger than himself, because he is young at heart. Threecolleagues feel uncomfortable and complain to their employer. The manager nowhas to look for a new job.
10. Assault by director
One of the most remarkable #MeToo cases takes place at a South Holland metalcompany. The owner calls himself a ‘physical person’, who expresses hisappreciation for employees through ‘hugs’. For years, the man has forcedhimself on mostly younger male employees with sexually tinted remarks andtouches. According to one of them, a serious assault is even taking place.Because the latter case is not proven by the Public Prosecution Service, thedirector gets off with community service.