Harassment in EMS

Sasha

Sasha

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Have you ever really felt harassed by your partner or your coworkers? Sexually, religiously, racially, etc?

Especially women, did you feel hesitant to report it because you didn't want to seem like a whiner?
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Especially women? I think guys would have a harder time reporting it for that same reason.
 
Really? I think it is more women, the whole "this is a man's profession and I don't wanna seem like I can't cut it"

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I have never personally experienced any form harassment.

I do know of a couple medics and one EMT/FF who were fired because of sexual harassment in separate incidents. I know what they did and I know one of them was trying to make a joke, but it was inappropriate considering the circumstances. Had he said what he said to someone he knew better, it might not have been an issue.

I know of one EMT who was fired for racial harassment.

I do not doubt for a second that all forms of harassment are under-reported in EMS and elsewhere.
 
I was confronted once by a coworker who I worked with once where I ended up filing an incident report on him (note: don't answer a phone and hold a conversation in a patient's room in front of the patient and family, don't be exceedingly rude to SNF staff, don't give an impression that you want to go to X hospital (especially when we're just posting in the area) because they have free food, and don't sit at the rear end of the bench seat and send text messages with a patient on board. Especially don't do all of those in THE SAME SHIFT). I shrugged that one off. Words being words.
 
I've only ever had one issue, but reported it right away due to a history of similar behavior towards another employee. After investigating it further, he was eventually terminated.
 
I was told I would not graduate nursing collegiate by a dean.

She said "Most male students don't", and she was sort of right, four out of 26 made it through four years after being microscopically managed, harassed, and told to our faces men should not be in the profession.
As for being the recipient of unwanted passes, no.
 
I was verbally and sexually harrassed by my first partner who was also the manager. I was hesitant at first to make a fuss about it because I was brand new and just a driver with no experience, and I knew it'd be hard to get a job elsewhere. I tried talking to this partner a few times about the things he said and did and told him to stop. He continued doing such things, so I went over his head to the district supervisor and filed a complaint. I switched stations and partners. That same partner a few months later did the same things to another new female partner. For some reason, he is still working here, but he is not allowed to have anymore female partners.
 
i get treated differently for what i think is a weird reason... I'm married (to a guy) and of the 12 women i work with i'm only one of two that aren't lesbians... I don't judge anyone for who they want to be or date but i get judged for being married and feminine (even though im not a princess or even really girly) how do you file a complaint for that?
 
I'd like to harass my current female partner but it's because she's slow and annoying.

Good thing I'm a nice guy and can tolerate working with just about anyone.
 
mpc83 said:
i get treated differently for what i think is a weird reason... I'm married (to a guy) and of the 12 women i work with i'm only one of two that aren't lesbians... I don't judge anyone for who they want to be or date but i get judged for being married and feminine (even though im not a princess or even really girly) how do you file a complaint for that?
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You don't. Just laugh and get over it.
 
We have refresher training every year, part o which is anti harassment training. At the end of a very dreary session, one of the guys asked the lecturer "do we mean we aren't allowed to talk in the van then?"
Girl: "uh, what do you mean?"
Paramedic: "well, we can't talk about sex, drugs, cute women, racial jokes, or complain about other people, so what are we supposed to talk about?"
Girl: (shocked silence)


I haven't been harassed, but I have been bullied at work by someone who was supposed to be teaching me. I reported it, as did someone else, I believe he doesn't get fresh students anymore.
 
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McGoo said:
We have refresher training every year, part o which is anti harassment training. At the end of a very dreary session, one of the guys asked the lecturer "do we mean we aren't allowed to talk in the van then?"
Girl: "uh, what do you mean?"
Paramedic: "well, we can't talk about sex, drugs, cute women, racial jokes, or complain about other people, so what are we supposed to talk about?"
Girl: (shocked silence)
Click to expand...
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWZO_zehR9w[/youtube]

/Yes, I have a video for everything...
 
We had a gentleman that worked for us for about 3 days.
He went out with a female partner driving on his first released day and they were out about 10 minutes when she called on radio and said that they were coming back, she needed a new partner and he needed an ambulance.

He put his hand down her blouse and she broke his arm. Surprising what he said when he was given Morphine for the pain. Admitted it all.

Needless to say he was fired.
 
In EMS, I haven't gotten much of it. It's pretty constant in fire--almost every new guy assumes I'll be weak--but that's another story.

I have found that I need to walk a fine line between "looking cute" (which means you won't be taken seriously, at best) and "trying to be one of the guys" (same result). Some of the men I work with are also immature enough so that they think any pretty girl who speaks to them must be interested, or that girls can't do the job. As a result, I try to keep myself from looking feminine at work. I don't pay much attention to my hair, never wear makeup, and buy my uniforms a size too big.

I've avoided the worst of it, but I've seen it get ugly. One boss managed to make 3/4s of the female employees quit within his first year of being promoted. In a typical case, he assigned a really attractive rookie to a series of guys who'd spend the shift making passes at her, in order to see if she was "tough enough." After a few months, she quit. The boss seemed to think it proved that pretty women really are just weak and whiny. I won't be surprised if that place gets sued someday...

McGoo said:
We have refresher training every year, part o which is anti harassment training. At the end of a very dreary session, one of the guys asked the lecturer "do we mean we aren't allowed to talk in the van then?"
Girl: "uh, what do you mean?"
Paramedic: "well, we can't talk about sex, drugs, cute women, racial jokes, or complain about other people, so what are we supposed to talk about?"
Girl: (shocked silence)
Click to expand...

Totally true for some of my crews. They're doing it because they're comfortable with me, not because they're trying to intimidate me. I throw it right back at them, and a good time is had by all.
 
johnrsemt said:
We had a gentleman that worked for us for about 3 days.
He went out with a female partner driving on his first released day and they were out about 10 minutes when she called on radio and said that they were coming back, she needed a new partner and he needed an ambulance.

He put his hand down her blouse and she broke his arm. Surprising what he said when he was given Morphine for the pain. Admitted it all.

Needless to say he was fired.
Click to expand...

wow! what an idiot!
 
Oh, and the same female partner spent 12 minutes last night (while i'm sitting there waiting to clear a call) talking on the phone to her baby daddy about who knows what drama.

That happens again I'm not sure what I'll do.
 
FourLoko said:
Oh, and the same female partner spent 12 minutes last night (while i'm sitting there waiting to clear a call) talking on the phone to her baby daddy about who knows what drama.

That happens again I'm not sure what I'll do.
Click to expand...

Just interrupt her, and say that you're clearing.
 
abckidsmom said:
Just interrupt her, and say that you're clearing.
Click to expand...

She was outside of the rig in the parking lot. I started it up to give her the hint but it still took her a while to catch on.

Sorry for derailing the thread.
 
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