Years ago, when I was a new employee, the first day I arrived one of the senior men in the organisation came up to me to introduce himself or rather for me to introduce myself to him. From the moment he looked at me I felt uncomfortable. Then he came over and stood really really close to me for me to introduce myself. He made a remark that i can’t remember to one of the other women in the office about they way I looked. She laughed and I smiled. Even though I was uncomfortable this was my first day at a new job.
As time went on, I had encounters with this same man where he would say the most derogatory things about other women who worked in the organisation. This was an organisation that had at least as many women as men, if not more. Yet, when I told my female boss about his behaviour, she shook her head disapprovingly but we both knew she was not going to say anything to him. and I wasn’t going to say anything to him for fear of ridicule and having the name-calling turned in my direction.
This man, who had worked at the organisation for many many years would stand at the bottom of the stairs, along with other men in the organisation, and make comments, grunt, etc when a woman with a nice behind walked up the stairs. And even though we were also employees of the same organisation we felt powerless to stop this form of harassment.
There was no great offence for which we could file a complaint. No touching. But the comments, the peril of having to walk up the stairs when he was at the bottom made working there uncomfortable at times.
It’s really difficult in these types of situations, especially when dealing with senior employees. I felt that to make it an issue would cause me more stress than to just stay out of his way. And when I appealed to my boss, indirectly, she too refused to make it an issue. I know she too wanted to avoid the bacchanal this man would have caused had anyone dared to call him on his disgusting behaviour.
Lita