Q: My boss is asking me to do things I'm not comfortable with.
I am an accountant for a small multi-state business. Recently my boss has asked to to start also doing his personal accounting while not being compensated for it. The other day he also had me come to his house to fix his computer and then had me change his bandage and dressing from a recent hurnea surgery. I felt very uncomfortable doing this but didn't know how to say no. He gets very mad when he hears this. What should I do?
A: Although isolated incidents of an employer's request to perform extraneous tasks unrelated to your position probably do not rise to the level of sexual harassment or hostile work environment, but if the tasks develop into a pattern with obvious sexual overtones that make you uncomfortable, the situation will constitute sexual harassment. There's no concrete amount of occurrences, though. And if the tasks are so egregious as to become an obstacle to your performance in your job duties and ultimately alter the terms and conditions of your employment position, then the situation represents a hostile work environment. Either of those progressions would warrant legal action on your part against your employer. You should contact an experienced employment law attorney to discuss your legal options.
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