Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Unwanted shoulder rubs as a sign of dominance ?!

188 replies

OLP2019 · 12/09/2019 06:46

Ok so my dh runs a company and I also work there - I have a normal mid manager level role but obviously slightly different in that my dh is the boss/ I've always tried very hard not to take the piss but we have two dc and due to the seniority of dh role it was always me leaving early to pick them up or staying home if they were sick etc.
Back in the day when we had babies the company was very small and so I was my role so I could easily afford to work part time hours most of the time but always did my work and even if I was "off" did what was needed and never let anyone down
The company has grown a lot and so has my role and i am now full time and work long hours - granted dh and I travel a lot however we are never "off" and always working and I see that as the pay off for coming and going as I please. I'm very successful and good at my job despite dh being the boss he isn't my direct boss and I hardly ever see him in the office
So that's the background! Here's the issue
When we were smaller dh was doing everything and eventually hired a young hot shot sales guy to groom to run the sales team. This guy is a good sales guy but very rough around the edges and a bit cowboy. Has bugged dh for promotion but doesn't seem to get that there is more to a management role than just selling and has never grasped the strategic and forward planning side of the senior role he wants
I would describe him as a big swinging dick kind of guy.
Anyway he seems to have always had an issue with me.
I joke that he wants to be married to dh and get chance for the pillow talk.
He has complained about me to dh more than that made and has also reported me to hr more than once. He doesn't seem to understand how I get to "swan in and out" and he doesn't. Well I guess that is a benefit of being married to the owner of the company .
On the surface we get along but we have butted heads over the years. I have never pulled the "married to the boss" card for what it's worth. We have hung out and had some laughs but knowing what he's said and done behind my back, to my own husband even, I don't trust him at all.

Anyway to get to the aibu - recently Whenever he comes to talk to me he gives me a shoulder massage ! Like comes up behind me and suddenly there he is !!

We are definitely not friendly enough for that kind of physical contact and I do have male friends at work I consider close who would never do that and if they did I would say wtf ?!
For some reason I let him do it because it always takes me by surprise
I wonder if he does it to show other junior staff that he is "in@ with the boss and his wife and also if he does it to dominate me ?!

Thoughts ?!

For the record I don't feel creeped out enough to report it but I do find it very odd that he does it to me and an curious about why when I know he doesn't really like me at all

OP posts:
ambereeree · 13/09/2019 14:14

Your husband owns the company so actually you are more senior than him by default. You should start making that clear and when he touches you get up and ask what he's doing to his face. Make him feel as pathetic as he really is.

Tonnerre · 13/09/2019 16:26

Have you had a chance yet to tell him to sod off when he touches you, OP?

Motoko · 13/09/2019 18:06

"can you not do that please"

No! That's a request, it should be a demand, because otherwise, he can ignore the request. "Don't do that." is what OP should say, if she wants to be taken seriously.

magoria · 13/09/2019 18:26

Don't wait until he touches you again. Send him an email saying you him touching you is unwanted and please not to do it in future.

That way you have a trail having asked him to stop.

If he persists report it formally to HR.

SlowDown76mph · 14/09/2019 09:26

It's a mistake not to tell your DH.

honeyrider · 14/09/2019 15:39

Tell your DH what he's doing. Here in Ireland there's a TV advert showing a number of examples of what sexual harassment is, one example is an older woman coming up behind a young man and she puts her hands on his shoulders. Your colleague knows what he's doing so you should tell your DH.

ginandbearit · 14/09/2019 15:53

Fake a really loud orgasm a la When Harry met Sally when he next does it ..in front of everyone and after you've told your husband ..oh ok perhaps not...but mocking him and his power play might send a stronger message than reporting to hr ...

Tonnerre · 20/09/2019 05:52

How's the no-touching campaign going, OP?

OLP2019 · 04/10/2019 07:07

Sorry it's taken me so long to update!
Had weekend away with girlfriends and told them this and they all loud and clear said to me "what the fuck" just as you all have. Then Had my MIL staying for a while and I discussed it with her at length in front of DH and she loudly and resoundingly agreed it was fucked up ! DH in the room (on sofa while we sat in open plan kitchen) so not part of conversation but certainly hearing it. Said to MIL "but DH has dismissed it as not a big deal you see" and she says well he should be bothered by it because /.. xyz all the reasons you ladies have pointed out.
I felt a mix of shame and annoyance at myself that it had taken me a while to clock on about what was happening and how it made me feel , righteous anger at him and at DH for not taking it seriously when I told him and a bit of shock at the reactions I got from literally everyone I told about it at how fucked up it actually was !!
To be fair to DH when I first mentioned it we'd had a few drinks and I brought it up as a bit of a ha ha you won't believe this happened - I think I did it this way because it felt so awkward telling him someone was putting their hands on me so I kind of joked it off - so I suppose I have to take some blame at the way he received it but when I started to discuss with his mum in front of him and it was a fairly serious discussion I think he prob started to get it

Anyway it has suddenly stopped happened just when I was all primed with a response
I asked DH if he had said something
He said no
But I suspect he might have done because it's not his style to just let something like that lie - but I'm not sure at all.

Either way I'm not sure DH "having a quiet word" is quite the outcome I would like - he still has his senior job and status etc

I guess I'll have to sit back and wait and see

OP posts:
OLP2019 · 04/10/2019 07:08

Sorry typo - it has stopped HAPPENING recently and he has approached me at work like a normal person would without the stealth massages

OP posts:
Elodie2019 · 04/10/2019 07:27

He doesn't seem to understand how I get to "swan in and out" and he doesn't. Well I guess that is a benefit of being married to the owner of the company

I have never pulled the "married to the boss" card for what it's worth.

Apart from that massive contradiction YANBU.
He is asserting his dominance.
Just tell him! 'No shoulder pinching please. I hate it. Thanks!'

Elodie2019 · 04/10/2019 07:28

Oops! Didn't read your update OP! Grin

Elodie2019 · 04/10/2019 07:30

Maybe your DH told him that you hated it and found it creepy. Hope so.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.