LITIGATION VALUE: Nominal (but only because Michael’s party was a flop)
Unfortunately for employers, what happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. As a result, employers are increasingly faced with liability for their employees’ “booze-fueled sex romps,” as Michael so elegantly put it. Maybe it’s the exotic locale, or maybe it’s the free liquor, but one thing is certain: Conventions can be fertile grounds for employment-based lawsuits. Sometimes, between their second and third martinis, employees seem to forget that they are representing their employer and that their company’s policies, especially the sexual harassment policy, remain in effect. Too often you hear tales of the intoxicated supervisor who invites his (or her) young associate to visit his (or her) hotel room. Not generally the type of evidence that you want to be faced with. Lucky for the company, Jim was the only person who actually went to Michael’s party.
As for Toby, I’m just glad that his conscience kicked in at the last minute. Either that or he lost his courage. Either way, it was probably a good thing that the director of human resources did not proposition the receptionist.
