After her own experience at a Singapore law firm, a lawyer has created a website for people to share their stories of sexual harassment.

The female lawyer, who is anonymous, worked at the Singapore branch of a boutique English firm where she was harassed by her boss. On one occasion he called her to a private breakfast meeting and proceeded to list sexual fantasies he had about her. The lawyer said that the partner's comments were "very graphic, very disturbing and very creepy" and made her "freak out".

When his advances were rejected, the partner bullied the junior lawyer and gave her routine administrative jobs rather than proper legal work.

The female lawyer raised the harassment matter with senior management in London, but the founding partner of the firm said that "such things happen when you are a pretty girl". She also lodged a formal complaint with the human resources department but was told not to make a fuss.
 

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When the lawyer said she was considering reporting the matter to the police, the firm said she could leave with a year's salary as compensation on the condition that she signed a non-disclosure agreement and didn't contact the police. The lawyer decided not to go to the police fearing that it may have a negative impact on her career if the story was publicised in the news.

The lawyer says that the firm's handling of the matter was appalling. She had been told repeatedly that she was a troublemaker and a liar, even though she had provided evidence to the firm of her boss' indiscretions. Her website, Hear to Change, has been set up for people to share their stories anonymously if they have been the victims of sexual harassment.

RollOnFriday has been told that the partner got away "scot-free" with his sleazy behaviour. If you have more details, about this incident or others, consider dropping a line in strictest confidence.

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Comments

Anonymous 14 December 17 01:31

Your suggestion to drop a line in strictest confidence, coming at the end of a story about a lawyer intentionally breaching her confidentiality obligations (after being paid a year's salary for it) leaves us with no confidence about confidence.

Anonymous 18 December 17 04:55

The fact that one of the comments below is focused SOLELY on the fact she may or may not have breached her NDA rather than the behaviour of the harasser in question is everything that is wrong with the way the legal industry is handling this issue. Just WOW.

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