Have you ever been Sexually Harrassed at work, but ... ?

Question

... but it wasn't proveable, so you didn't do anything about it?

** Inspired by all the harrassment Qs today. =)

~Serious and informative answer will get BA.

Answer 1

I was harassed by a man I was nice to in line. I worked retail and was head cashier (this was a long time ago - like 10 years) and I just struck up a conversation with a man and his son about cartoons and what we liked.

Well, he started sending me flowers (roses on Christmas Eve and Valentine's day), he'd show up and shop but not talk to me, and even put together a notebook filled with poetry, stories and his resume! I know it is bizarre - but it totally freaked me out. The poems were about me, as where the stories. It was creepy because I was about 15 years younger than him, and it was really creepy because I was front and center of the store and couldn't escape if I wanted to. I wound up telling my manager, and after about 6 months of this FINALLY got him banned from the store because he scared me.

Answer 2

Every day.  My work environment is nothing but men, and of course they are major pervs and direct thier comments at me constantly.  I deal with it by commenting right back, I never have been one to keep my mouth shut.  I don't just sit there and pretend I didnt' hear it or they weren't talking about me.  I speak up and give them a taste of their own medicine.  They are half way scared of me cause the don't exactly know what I'll do next, or if i'm bluffing or not.  I have worked with these people for 8 years now, and they know not to push me over the edge.  And don't you dare put your hands on me, because I won't run and tattle to the boss, I'll kick your a s s.

Answer 3

I was a security guard in one office building, and he was a security guard at the building across the street, and he came into my building and asked me for a date.  When I said 'No thanks, I'm engaged," he tried to make me feel like I was being mean for not giving him a chance, and that I owed him a date, and he would not go away for ages.  Then when I locked him out of the building and wouldn't let him in, he got someone else with a key to let him in so he could continue to tell me that I was being heartless and unreasonable to not even go on one date with him.  Then he got the guy who ran the coffee shop next door to try to guilt me into dating him on his behalf.  

It was all over in a weekend (though it really shouldn't have taken all weekend to successfully turn down a date) which is another reason I thought, "What's the point?" I wasn't even sure anyone would care even if they believed me since we were employees of different security companies. In retrospect, I wish I had said something to his company so he could get a stern talking to about unprofessional behaviour from HR and maybe he'd have been less likely to pull a similar stunt on some other woman.  Also, it occurs to me that while he was busy bugging me, he was not doing his job.

Answer 4

Yes and I rather enjoy it. I have female customers hit on me quite often.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm sooo 'Hot' or they just want a discount on their cabinets , but either way it's fun.

Answer 5

Yes I experienced sexual harassment, but he did it all in double entendres when we had to work alone together, and would be quite forceful about trying to give me rides home from work. He was really persistent when I said that I was fine to make my own way back which scared me. He was obviously physically strong, but didn't have a awareness of this like other big guys who make the effort to not appear intimidating. I didn't realise how much this was affecting me until it made me leave my job to get another.

Afterwards I wondered why I didn't do anything at the time, but I think I felt so defensive and anxious that I couldn't really think clearly. He never actually overtly asked me for a date or anything, so I was never given the opportunity to say "I am not interested".

It still annoys me to think of it now.

Answer 6

Yes, but she only did it because I had something that she wanted, once she got that, she didn't even talk to me anymore. But she wasn't much and said full moons were bad.

Answer 7

Yeah but nobody would believe me when I said the boss and her two secretaries took turns with me on the boss's desk.

Answer 8

Or how about if the sexual harrassment comes from your boss or supervisor?

  Talk about an awkward, and impossible situation!

  I've had two super pervy bosses. Little flirty comments, constant touches on the shoulder or waist, inappropriate comments about my body, "how s**y I am", hugging, even demanding a kiss! I chose to stay in the job because I enjoyed the work, and pay. I've since moved on, but still run into sexual harassment. It's sad, but I just assume it's part of working and being a female.

Answer 9

No. Was accused of it once. Still after all these years, I didn't understand how tipping your hat at a fellow (female) employee, could be construed as sexual harassment. Nearly lost my job because of it. Must have had to do with me telling my boss to f*** off because he was told give her the benefit of the doubt.

Answer 10

Yes, on several occasions.  The worst was with a colleague who sat near me and would pull my hair every time he went past my desk.  He kept saying he was going to kiss me.  He only behaved like this when no one else was around.  I got really upset about it and dreaded going to work.  

Eventually I dealt with it at an evening social occasion.  I asked him publicly why he hadn't kissed me yet, since he was always saying he was going to.  Everyone was a bit drunk and they were all laughing.  And the next morning people were still talking about it.  They weren't quite sure what to make of it, but it brought the issue into general awareness and my colleague stopped harassing me.

I wouldn't recommend this method of dealing with it, though.