The state of Upper Austria is making short shrift of a lower-level state official: He is said to have harassed “a handful” of young women with “inappropriate verbal affection” and “aloof behaviour,” such as a hug.
“Sexual harassment” in the criminal sense should not have been. Nevertheless, the consequences for the civil servant, who is actually also well connected politically, are far-reaching: “After assessment of the facts, the person was immediately dismissed from his or her managerial position and was given leave. In the future, he will no longer have a leadership role in the state of Upper Austria and he will also have to bear the salary losses related to our salary law,” said the HR department of the state of Upper Austria at the request of “Krone”.
An affected woman sought support
One of the women affected by the attacks had contacted the country’s Commissioner for Equal Opportunities. Together with her team, she takes care of current affairs, but also prevention. How exactly this happened in the specific case cannot be clarified at this time, as the officer is not available on vacation abroad. The HR department describes the procedure as follows: “Corrective measures were immediately taken for those affected and extensive advice and support was available from the start. All these measures have of course also been taken with the involvement and in consultation with the Equal Opportunities Employee.”
Country has learned lessons from #metoo
The current case shows impressively that the province of Upper Austria has learned lessons from #metoo and similar debates. “Which may still be normal behavior for some men, but some women suffer from it,” says one concerned man on the sidelines, describing how people need to rethink these days.
No tolerance for such misbehavior
Officially it reads: “The state of Upper Austria will not tolerate inappropriate or discriminatory behavior in any way. Depending on the facts and seriousness, the right consequences are immediately drawn with the HR department”. In addition to the immediate measure of “demotion” that was imposed, a disciplinary procedure was also started against the civil servant, therefore he has now – as was learned – been given leave. at the expense of his unused vacation days.What this will ultimately look like is not yet known.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
