Telcom is a start-up telecommunication Company based in Oakville, Ontario. The Company
was established to cater to the demands of its customers since regulations and restrictions in
the telecommunication industry in Canada were removed and have caused an upsurge in
demand for local promotional services among commercial clients in Ontario.
1. What is the context for the case?
The incident that happened in Telcom is related to concerns about human rights and human
resources. The case is considered internal since it involves two employees of Telcom
Company under the operations department. The first employee is Patty Johnson, and she is
the conversion team leader. The second person is Nelly Marcado, the service repair team
leader. Both have worked for Telcom since the start of the Company and play an essential
role in the Company. The issue between Patty and Nelly was escalated to Kathy Edmonds,
the Telcom operations manager. Kathy received a complaint from Nelly Marcado that Patty
Johnson was sexually harassing her about having a “seductive telephone manner.” Marcado
was insulted by Johnson’s comments, which is a serious matter for her.
There are few consequences that the Company might encounter because of the issue between
Patty and Nelly. Firstly, Johnson's accusations toward Marcado might affect Marcado's
morale, resulting in her unfriendly behavior. It could also cause some depression for
Marcado. Secondly, Marcado and Johnson might have problems concentrating and be
unproductive because of this incident.. Also, the Company may experience a hostile work
environment. Finally, Telcom Company and its employees might feel degraded, affecting
employees' and Company’s performance.
The Company could have prevented this issue if there were measures and guidelines for
facilitating and strengthening gender sensitivity, promoting gender equality, and women
empowerment. The case could be an eye-opener or a benefit and advantage for the
Company’s workforce since the employees would be better educated on languages
appropriate for the workplace and their colleagues to avoid misunderstanding, baseless
accusations, or worse, tension and small fights between and among employees. It could also
include activities to strengthen the bond and camaraderie among the employees, especially
since they could possess different or contrasting personalities. Although Marcado alleges
Johnson’s complaint as a form of sexual harassment, it could also generally fall as a
discriminatory or detracting comment made by a workmate.
2. Who is involved in the case directly or who may have an interest indirectly and why?
People directly involved in the case
Nelly Marcado was the complainant in this case. She felt offended and embarrassed by
Johnson's comment to her about Marcado's "seductive telephone manner." This incident
happened in the lunchroom in front of several operations department employees. Marcado
believed that it was sexual harassment. She discussed it with her lawyer friend. Her lawyer
friend suggested that she must complain to her supervisor and file the complaint with the
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