(no subject)

[enamoured]

I feel somewhat displeased with myself.

We have a bunch of new people at work, and last weekend we got four or more new people in my department alone. One of them was this guy who, on the second day that he'd been there, felt compelled to come over to me when I said I was cold (and I was; I'm getting over a bad cold and up until the other day I had a bit of a fever on and off too) and rub my arms. I was vaugely uncomfortable with this, even though I'm a kind of touchy-feely person, when I get to know you. Two days does not count as getting to know.

So I was kind of all, "Yeah... new guy makes me feel awkward," until Sunday night, when he first referred to me jokingly to someone as his "wifey" and then again, during closing when he blatantly made a sexual remark about me to someone else, with me in earshot.

Common sense said, "Hey, this is sexual harassment. This is what they tell you about in health class and what your mom warns you about, and he's not some sketchy customer who you might never see again. Tell someone." But part of me thought, "I don't want to get him in trouble. He just started working here."

Why? Why did I do that? I have no obligation to that guy but I felt this pathetic obligation to be nice.

However, yesterday I did bring it up with Shannon, who said that at least two other girls that I work with had complained about the same thing. The guy who was doing that with me and another one of the new guys have been flirting with and touching other girls, and for a moment I felt relieved because thank God, it's not just me, but at the same time, I felt so damn stupid for not speaking up sooner about it. I think most people at work see me as being kind of quiet and maybe a little weird, but I don't take crap from anyone. I never wanted to be the girl who didn't speak up when something like this happened to me.

Comments

[estellegetty.livejournal.com]

I had a co-worker like that, but it was only a temporary shift, so I just kept quiet until I was done with that shift. Thankfully, the guy eventually transferred, but I don't know what I would have done if he didn't. :/

[komalow.livejournal.com]

You did speak up about it, though, eventually, and that's good. (Which, something like that happened to me, by my thirty-eight-year-old manager, and I never said anything, so you have me beat). To that I say: rock on.

[sunshine95.livejournal.com]

Oh, ew. How creepy. I'm glad you did speak to someone about it in the end.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Good for you for speaking up. (Er, who is Shannon? Is s/he someone who can do something about this?)

[supersyncspaz7.livejournal.com]

Shannon's one of the team leads/supervisors.

[chrryblssmninja.livejournal.com]

just...grr. But I do understand about not speaking up and feeling bad about it later. At least you told someone eventually and...really, something needs to be done about those guys. eew

[squishysquidgy.livejournal.com]

I hope something gets done about it. That behaviour is not on at all.