Stop means Stop

Hey cravers! Miss you guys and I hope you are still pushing through!

I felt I had to come and post this because  I feel it could help someone else going through it. As you guys know, I started a new job and for the most part I love it, it’s pretty easy breezy, if you know what I mean. lol

Like most jobs, you form work relationships, all appropriate of course. You have those people that you can joke with and tell those not so personal, personal stories with and I’m all down for that! But recently one of my co-workers has overstepped his boundaries, and yes I had to take it to HR.

If you know me or have ever met me, upon first meeting me I am the big smile nice to you type of person. I’m not saying after you get to know me I’m this mean person but my sarcastic ways come out. lol I’m like this with everyone in my life. lol Egypt can attest to this because we go back and forth all day lol

Anyway, off topic lol. Starting from the beginning, one day I locked myself out of the building and of course no one was around so the only extension I knew by heart was IT and I had to call from my cell phone. Thinking nothing of it, he now has my number. The next day, he came to my desk and said, “hey since I have your number now can I call you” I was confused because umm when did you get my number? So I told him no and to delete it, so one day as he was leaving out he gave me his number  and said well since I can’t call you, call me. Yeah, no sir, no thank you.

I moved on from that, I know how some guys are and if you sneeze in their presence,they think you want them. lol So I continued with my laughing and and joking with him days and neither of us brought up the number exchange incident. Then one night I got a friend request from some random page on Facebook, I’m sure you guys already can guess, yes from him. I denied and the next day he asked why when I told him I don’t accept request from co-workers he continued to send and ask me to accept him.

At this point, yes I should have gone to HR but I know how crazy people are over having a bunch of friends on Facebook so I again ignored it. We now enter into this week, his jokes became inappropriate and he started calling me beautiful instead of using my name, when I told him to stop his response was my mother should have named me that instead. At this point it was HR time.

There are certain lines you just shouldn’t cross at work! I don’t care if we laugh and joke all day but to make me feel uncomfortable is disrespectful. I’m pretty sure he meant no harm but I wasn’t ok with it and Stop means Stop. Maybe he got to comfortable with me and felt he could say what he wanted or maybe he’s done this to other people but what I’m not going to do is walk into work or dread going to work because of his foolishness.

So cravers, work harassment doesn’t have to be physical, verbal is the exact same thing. Even if you think it’s borderline but it’s not “that serious,” it is!  Some may think I’m being dramatic and should take it as a compliment, but I don’t let others opinion determine how I feel about something. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, in anyway, at your work place or anywhere, speak up, document it, record it. Don’t let anyone get away with taking your happiness, comfort, and peace away.

Until next time cravers,

-Monic