Older male colleagues calling me darling, sweetheart, etc

[dfghgfdfg]

At work most of us are in our 20s but some of the staff are older. A few times I have had older male colleagues call me darling, sweetheart, lovely, etc.

I've also had a male colleague look quite obviously at my chest (I wasn't wearing anything low cut) and touch my arm/shoulder quite a lot but thankfully he has changed departments.

It's my first job since university so I'm not really sure what to expect and what's normal. I have never experienced this in other settings before (like academia). It doesn't seem to happen as often to the other women I work with but I have heard it a few times.

Most of the time it doesn't really bother me but I do feel embarrassed when a male colleague I don't really know walks into the office and asks "so where's the lovely lady who needed this paperwork?" and my colleagues kind of laughed.

Well someone staring at your chest should be told not to.

If.toi feel uncomfortable about the terms people use them you should address them. You'd hate my.workplace, we all call each other terms of endearment (that's what they are in our context) but if you don't like it then just say.

I had this in my first post-uni job. Speak out. I know its hard, but it won't be as hard as you think it will be. Tell them directly and firmly that you don't like it, not to call you by - / do that anymore. Your name is ----.

If they persist, bring it up with management /hr. They're obliged to address it by law.

I know you'll be scared there may be ramifications for you but ask yourself this: Do you really want to stay at a company that doesn't respect you?

Trust me, if they don't respect and support you it will not end well whether you speak out or not. And then you'll be kicking yourself for not leaving earlier.

A good company and good colleagues will support and respect you for speaking out.

You do not need, and are not obliged, to accept this behaviour.

So don't.