| While your business might be your life, for most of your employees it's only a job. This means that for most of them, it must be pleasant. They must be able to joke around and even, occasionally, flirt. If you try to turn every social interaction into a perfectly professional unfriendly and unsexualised environment, you will very quickly find that you are the only one left. This is even more relevant in a small startup.
In my experience, the worst kind of work environment is a startup trying to act like a big multinational. None of the perks, but all of the soulless experience. I have nothing against firing someone for bad behavior.
However, with the little info you provided us, there is nothing serious. Make sure the new employee knows that her colleague didn't like his approaches and that it won't happen again. You should also try to get both sides of the story. Finally, you did say this: > The employee in question has made it clear that it's not a big deal and she knows how to deal with it (...) How is she going to react if you fire his ass? Wouldn't it be acting like she can't take care of herself? |
You know, it occurs to me you can't have this both ways: take care of yourself and rat out the fiend to the boss above.
"Hello, 911? There is a robbery at Elm and 41st. But don't send anyone, I can take care of these dudes! One of the perpetrators saw me using my phone, so if police arrive, they will know it was me! And that scares me --- that's how much I can take care of this myself!"
If you don't want some authority to take action, don't burden them with the conflict of the knowledge and the request not to take action.