To ask you if this would make you feel uncomfortable

[TheStrawberryQueen]

and if you'd be okay with it and be able to laugh it off.

Just imagine you have a male work colleague who seems nice enough however he has a habit of making comments towards you and other female collegues. He makes jokes about how you must fancy him on a regular basis and can be quite pushy in his approach when he makes these jokes. He has also jokingly asked you for a kiss or a hug on numerous occasions and will sometimes grab or squeeze your arm.

Again he only does this to females, never other males.

Would this bother you? Or would you find it funny and just brush it aside as a bit of fun, teasing, etc?

What if you knew it was bothering someone else? Would you speak up for them?

Some things never seem to change - 66 years ago my MiL thew a large box of paper clips at the office creep who thought it was funny to make rude remarks and to trap her in a corner [she was a good shot - he left her alone afterwards], 35 years ago the youngest girl in our office "accidentally" knocked a cup of hot coffee into the lap of the office nuisance [we all cheered!] and it is still going on, I am sure we can all give recent examples.
The difference is now we don't have to put up with it - it's not a joke and no one finds it funny.
Your niece should tell him to back off, and then report him.

shame on her mother for not encouraging her DD to have the strength to complain loud and clear about this inappropriate behaviour. I would be LIVID if this was my daughter! As MTB said, this kind of behaviour being accepted, leads to these sleazeballs thinking they are being led on, encouraged, that the woman does fancy them and actually enjoys the attention and before you know it, no does not mean no.

This kind of behaviour MAY have been tolerated years ago. Indeed my friend complained to her female boss in the 70s about being groped and kissed by a senior male colleague and was told "that's how it is and if you don't like it you can always leave"

This is precisely why lots of these high profile cases are currently being prosecuted. These behaviours are NOT acceptable.

What about your niece saying something like: Are you trying to go down the same route as Jimmy Saville? Or Gary Glitter? Or would that be too .... er ..... inappropriate?