Builders' sexual harassment?

[TrueToYou]

I work for local council. My office base is in the library which is undergoing a massive facelift.
As I left the building, 3 Builders (private firm undertaking the work) were standing facing the entrance. As I passed, one said "three ways".
They all laughed long and hard. I didn't look up, just ignored and moved on, but the more I think about it, the angrier I am becoming.
I see the comment as them deciding how they would share me between them. I don't think there is any doubt about that, as the long hard raucous laughter confirmed it.
Now. What to do? I'm annoyed I reacted by fiddling with my id badge, head down, hurrying on, but I guess I knew immediately a confrontation would just lead to 3 against 1 denial and gas lighting.
I'm considering making a complaint, but do not have any idea what these guys look like, other than that they were the firm's hi vis jackets.
Wwyd?

It was a question, sort of. A comment that I was a bit surprised that, when telling me off for being rude to others, Buffy was a tad more personal and pointed in that post.

Pot and kettle, and all that! Not that it matters, I was just a bit taken aback by some of the responses my early post, and that of at least one other, received.

I have confronted a builder about making lewd remarks to the point that women in our office were getting bothered about going past them, it had definitely crossed the line to harassment. After one particularly bad remark, I walked up to them and asked one of them who they were working for, the implication being that I was going to call and complain. Cue suddenly embarrassed builders looking at their feet. No more trouble. They comments they were making were disgusting though, not the usual wolf whistling. I don't think they are all bad but there's no reason to make women scared of walking past a building site. I got thanked at the office :)

I'm not of the calm down and deal with it then variety. If men make offensive comments to me, they run the risk of a range of responses, including outright rage, just like they would with any human being. Their problem. I sometimes find using your rage against them can be quite stress relieving, certainly makes me feel better than putting up with foul abuse like a little mouse.

in the ops case, id have reported it to her employers. As a public authority, they have a duty to ensure their workers aren't harassed or threatened in the work environment. Its likely to stop them doing it too.

I do think this behaviour needs to be specifically criminalised though, as with racially aggravated offences and as in Belgium recently.

I'd report it for sure.

Am appalled that the op is advised to walk past the builders again to collect more 'evidence '. What they've said was harassment and this thread speaks volumes about why so many men get away with sexual harassment . I'd like to say that ' only on mumsnet ' would you find someone diverting from the point here ( sandwiches ? Splitting something else three ways?)the op states they were silent apart from what she heard , they were looking , they were laughing. But no sadly its not only on mumsnet do people make excuses for what clearly is the sexual degradation of a lone woman .

So you didn't read the the whole thread, then, sheherazade?

In later posts I, and others, explained in more detail - no-one said walk on by again and get harrassed a second time, or to forget about it and not complain. There were just different opinions on whether or not an angry, upset woman made the best complainant. Personally, as I explained later in the thread, I will not complain about such crap when angry... so I would have had to walk away for a minute, an hour, a day, whatever, until I had calmed down and could make my most effective complaint - the intervening time could be used to see if they had done it before!

No one is making excuses for anything.

And others interpreted your initial posts along the lines that Scheherazade did, nomama.

As I said, it all got clarified later on.... but I suppose I shall die by my first words forever.....

I reported something similar that out removal men said. Their boss was livid. I was glad I reported it. It upset me a surprising amount.

Report it. While you're an innocent victim here, please consider that there'll never be change unless people stand up to this kind of crap.

the OP seemed quite collected and rational to me. Why do we have to assume she'd launch a hysterical complain?

complaint*

Hi all, thanks again for the support....can anyone help me write this email?

Apart from saying that I wish to lodge a formal complaint about the conduct of contractors on site, and describing as I did here the events, what else do I say?
Should I just leave it at that, just the facts, or do I have to explain that the behaviour was sexual harrassment and that I should be able to go about my business without fear of this sort of thing happening?

I walked past again today. One of them (and I got a good look so I could point him out) looked at me KNOWINGLY. :)
(He did, actually. I saw him stare as I walked towards him, and I turned and clocked him staring at my arse after I'd passed him. All he needed was the cartoon eyes on stalks and tongue rolling out to the floor. I don't know if he was one of the original trio though)

I'd just stick to the facts and insist that you want the matter dealt with and you're prepared to identify the culprits.

Fabulous, thanks. I will check out that link, steal what you have suggested, and add my description of events. I'll post the draft email tomorrow for your editing. :)
neil I wouldn't be able to point out the guys, I hurried along with my head down and didn't take a look at them. This makes it difficult to say what action I expect to be taken - I think all I can hope for is a stern warning to all the workforce that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
Thanks again

I don't blame you. Like I said in the thread earlier, everybody's different. Unfortunately, they probably got the biggest kick out of embarrassing you.

On Monday 28th April 2014 at approximately 11:50am, I was leaving (my town) Central Library where my office is based.

As I left I noticed 3 of the workmen employed on the renovations of the library standing together facing the library entrance.

They stood in silence as they watched me approach, but as I passed them, one of them said “three ways”, and all three then laughed very loudly and raucously for rather a long time.

I feel that their behaviour was intended to intimidate and humiliate me, and as such was be in breach of the Code of Conduct of the Guild of Builders and Contractors, as well as contravening the European Commission’s code of practice on the Protection of the Dignity of Women and Men at Work.

I wish to lodge a formal complaint about the conduct of these men whilst working on Council property.

Please keep me informed as to what happens in response to this complaint.

How does that sound? I don't want to have to explain to them that this is sexual harassment and have to describe how I interpreted the comment.

Report. No excuse for that. Ask to see the site manager and explain what happened.

Would you be happy to add "this is a sexually charged comment" or similar?

I suspect a meeting will be called and everyone will be left in no doubt that if any of this behaviour is repeated, it will result in instant dismissal. It's a pity you can't identify them. Understandable but still a pity.

Do you think I should add sexually charged or something like it?

But perhaps not "it's a well known porn phrase meaning oral, anal and vaginal" :)

Yep! Sexually charged, has a sexual meaning - then you are not posting tue interpretation but are clearer about the part of law you are referring to

I don't think you need to elaborate any more. It covers the facts and the ball's in their court now.