Male gym employee walked into female changing rooms while I was naked

[ShakinScarecrow]

I've recently joined a private family owned gym & spa.
It closes at 8pm on Sunday. The female changing rooms are open plan with 3 showers and no cubicles.

This evening I went swimming and left the pool at 7.45pm when asked to by a female employee. I then had come out of the shower and was naked at 8.01pm when a male employee walked into the female changing rooms.

There was a female employee cleaning, and another gym user who was dressed and just leaving the changing room and as she left he told her off for being late and said he would cancel her membership. It was at this point he walked right into the changing room, saw me naked and walked out. He did not knock, or announce he was coming in, or check if anyone was in there. He did not apologise not did the female employee.

Another female employee then came in, so there were 2 of them in there.
A minute or so later he came back in and I said "please don't come in I'm naked". He then stood by the door, where he couldn't see me, and told me off (I can't remember exactly what he said) asked how long I was going to be and said he would cancel my membership then left.
I said to the female employees this was unacceptable and should I complain to the owner. I asked if my membership would be cancelled as it was 8.03pm at that point. They said that they would let the owner know and someone shouted at this employee in the male changing rooms recently so he was in a 'bad mood', also that I shouldn't worry and he wouldn't cancel my membership as he just said that because of his bad mood.

I quickly dressed and left by 8:05. The 3 female employees were still cleaning various areas of the building. I don't know if any other gym users were there. As i left he was at the front desk scrolling on his phone, he did not acknowledge me.
I sat in my car and cried.

I know they do close at 8pm and he came in at 8.01, so it was after closing time. However, the staff were not waiting to leave and were still cleaning. He could have asked a female colleague to speak to me.

I've come home now and have a range of emotions- anger, humiliation, indignation. I'm absolutely going to complain to the owner. I don't feel comfortable going there again while he's there.
What should I do?

@Havaina

A reasonable person ensures they don’t continually inconvenience others. The OP has a history of being late out of the pool and holding up closing time. I bet those employees aren’t being paid overtime for OP’s thoughtlessness too. She’s been there often enough to know long it takes her to leave the pool, shower and get dressed. Once is understandable. To be consistently late is just selfish.

A reasonable establishment makes allowances.

A reasonable person doesn't have a shower when they have less than 15 minutes to walk to the shower, wait for a shower, get their stuff, shower, dry and dress.

Get dry, get dressed, leave in time and shower at home.

OP has a history of being late out of the pool and holding up closing time.

A history?! She said last time she used the gym until closing time - that doesn’t make a ‘history’.

In fact she says ‘sorry, they said it's no problem.’

So it sounds like it’s not a policy that everyone has to be out of the building at 8pm on the dot.

And a reasonable establishment knows to never engage in anything that's gonna result in an argument or discussion when u want people out.

It's hard at times but sometimes u just have to nod smile and let them leave...

I don't think anyone is saying the establishment is being reasonable, they are saying that OP has been unreasonable by being fanny out after closing time when a) she knew what time she got kicked out the pool b) she seems to know the time down to the minute that everything happened and yet she still failed to plan properly or took her time

It's hard to smile and nod when people just dont give it a shit that your shift is basically finished and they are starting to delay you going home. Not excusing his behaviour and he should have handled it better, however the OP should have been out of there on time. Plus call me cynical but having worked in a similar environment for many years when younger I can say that customers also have a tendency to be slightly inaccurate when discussing times against reality

The fact is, OP caused all of the delay by not being showered and out of the door before 7:59:59

None of which means he can walk in to a ladies changing room with out prior warning. I should imagine he loves doing that tbh.

He was hardly stood with his coat on and ready to lock up as when she passed him he was on his phone.

He shouldn't have been rude

That’s wasn’t rude - it was incredibly intrusive. He knew their maybe a female in the state of undress but he still went in unannounced. I think he was hoping to catch her undressed

There*

. I think he was hoping to catch her undressed

Based on what? That 15 minutes earlier she got out of the pool? 15 minutes after I get out of the pool im back at home. Why shower at the gym when you know you have no time and that its virtually closing time? That is just selfish

There should be a system in place to avoid this kind of thing. Put signs up that male employees check the changing rooms after 8pm or get female staff to check they're clear or just knock and holler before entering. It shouldn't be difficult.

Or.maybe, during gym induction, new members could be taught how to tell the time?

I wonder what OP has done ? So far, apart from one message telling us that she was "ignoring the trolls" (i.e. people who disagreed with her and pointed out that she was taking the piss in being late), it has been radio silence...

Hearhoovesthinkzebras based on 60 seconds after eight he was straight in there. He was ready to go in. And I bet he has done it before.

I taught sports in a sports center for over ten years. Never did I know of any male that I worked with do this. They always shouted a warning before hand.

This guy wanted to cop an eye full or humiliate a woman.

Alternatively, it was 8pm on a Sunday evening, and after working a full shift on a weekend and he was ready to go home to :

• his family ;
• girlfriend or boyfriend ;
• have dinner and flop in front of Netflix ;
• go to the pub for a drink...

...and didn't anticipate there still being someone not only there after closing time, but stark naked and probably taking their sweet time about getting ready, if we're hypothesising based on absolutely no evidence ("I bet he has done it before", "This guy wanted to cop an eye full or humiliate a woman")

I'd believe it was an accident if it happened once, but not twice in a very short space of time.

ForalltheSaints
He went in once after closing time
When he returned he called through from the door because the OP still hadn't come out.