To wonder if there’s a woman who hasn’t put up with unacceptable sexual harassment in the workplace?

[Ponderence]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66775015

just reading this…..

and actually been thinking about this a lot recently. Have had 3 male bosses in my life. Was thinking that 2 have technically sexually harassed me (putting ice down my top, doing the tongue action between fingers, staring, inuendo comments- all while being ‘nice guys’) the one who didn’t Was seeing a lady in the office. Still work with the latest and to be honest I avoid bei nd alone with him cos I feel uncomfortable around him ( I’m in my 40s I’m not particularly worried about him but likewise I guess I should have to avoid a collleavue because I feel like I might be stared at)

these blokes are married with kids as I’m sure many of these ones are in the article.

are they all doing it? Is my husband sexually harassing people at work? Is theee a woman who hasn’t dealt with this sh*t?

m just realised my title makes it look like some sexual harassment might be acceptable. Obvs I don’t think that.

is the only way of avoiding it by not working with men?

wtf?

I've worked with many men, consider myself lucky to 'only' have been sexually assaulted once...

Both I and my daughters have been abused by multiple men in our relationships, but I realise that's not the point of your post.

Current partner (a man) doesn't understand what is wrong with these men, either; so I guess I'm one of the 'lucky' ones....

I’m an academic and haven’t ever encountered harassment in the workplace, but have certainly encountered it elsewhere.

Current partner (a man) doesn't understand what is wrong with these men, either; so I guess I'm one of the 'lucky' ones....

Neither does DH….ffs, they are putting patients’ lives at risk for their own gratification.

Since graduating 20 years ago I can’t think of a single instance when I’ve been sexually harassed at work. In fact the only one that springs to mind is the pervy boss at the chip shop I worked at when I was 14-19.

that’s not to say it hasn’t happened but nothing that has a lasting impression at least.

so yes I’d say most women have been probably been sexually harassed at least once

I have always worked in mainly "men environment". I have never been harassed. I haven't got on well with everybody, but the behaviour was not different towards me than it was towards another man.

putting ice down my top, doing the tongue action between fingers
that's is extreme harassment, and beyond acceptable, it's disgusting! No way would I stay working with pigs like that.

There must be something the matter with me. I've never been sexually harassed in the 30 years I've been in the workplace and in male orientated environments.

There have been plenty of shits but generally they've been equal opportunity shits to everyone.

I can, hand on heart, say I’ve never once experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour in any workplace I’ve worked in. I don’t think I’m wildly unique in that, when I’ve spoke about it harassment with friends, very few of them report having experienced it, either.

I’ve can only speculate on why it might be why some women never or rarely experience sexual harassment at work and some women seem to be on the receiving end of it constantly. Boundaries and confidence probably have a lot to do with it.

I can't recall ever experiencing workplace harrassment, but I certainly believe women who say they have.

The story about the surgeons is reprehensible. Abominable behaviour.

Never. I've had mutually flirty relationships but never anything I'd say inappropriate.

Well, yes I have have experienced all of that and worse. Ive never worked in a place I havent experienced it to some degree. All my female friends and relatives have too. Its more common than people like to admit.

I’ve just retired, the only serious sexual harassment I’ve experienced was from teachers at school. I studied engineering, worked in a chemical plant then was an engineering academic for 30 years. So I’ve always been in a male dominated workplace but I never had any bad experiences of sexual harassment. I’ve always felt I was treated with respect to my face, at least.

Unfortunately, I feel that the percentage of women who can state that they have never been on the receiving end of unwanted and unsolicited male harassment, at school, at work, at social events or pretty much anywhere else, is vanishingly small. 😔

Not sure which way the voting is, but I've never been sexually harassed by a boss (or anyone else) in my work place.

Never been on the receiving end. Always too unattractive. Well, that's the one positive side.

I work in a sector with a larger proportion of men than women. Ironically also a profession where many people assume the men are all misogynistic predators and I have never once experienced sexual harassment at work.

When I was 18 my 60 something boss used to pinch me on the bum. When i was late 20s and early 30s, in a different job, the ceo used to creep up behind me at my desk and put his hands on my shoulders.

I’ve also worked in male dominated work places. Never had any sexual harassment. Some managers were horrible but that was because I was young and bossed about rather than SH.

I used to work in tourism and I’ve had low-level sexual harassment/chat/inappropriate flirting in every job, plus one really upsetting scenario that made me leave the job. I think it’s endemic in the industry because it’s such a young industry with very informal workplaces and management structures.

I moved industry for unrelated reasons and it is lovely not to have this anymore!

I have never been explicitly sexually harassed at work (which I guess makes me unusual). I have in my personal life but never at work. I’ve had men in positions of power try it on with me many times but none tipped over into actual harassment.

What I have experienced endemically is subtle sexual discrimination. I worked in journalism for years and there was endless sexual stereotyping and ribald sexual jokes etc.

I am in a different career now and it’s much more “careful” in that people carefully avoid making openly misogynistic comments or remarks with a sexual overtone. But there’s still a vast amount of subtle prejudice against women. In my case, as a single mother, this has taken the form of being sidelined for things due to a lack of pointless presenteeism and being excluded from networking events revolving around sports and heavy drinking etc.

All the men I have worked with just get on the job like me in varietyof industries, , I know all men are considered the enemy so I feel very sorry for anyone on here who has sons but no I haven't experienced it

yes I am a solicitor but prior to that worked in the charity sector.

Off the top of my head I have been sexually harrassed 3 times. The worst was when I was about 28 and thought by making a complaint it would deal with the issue (against my boss) how naive. No, fucked my career over and I had to move on while he got promotion after promotion. The other times I never reported it because I thought no point.

Um, boundaries and confidence of the women concerned? Wtf? I have boundaries and confidence galore, it's still nothing to do with men's choices to have a pop at harassing me, workplace or otherwise. My boundaries and confidence have meant that I've challenged behaviour and withdrawn my services as an employee, but I have still experienced men being inappropriate.

Unless you mean "the complete lack of male boundaries in some work environments" and "the overweening confidence that they won't be challenged for their behaviour", then I think it's totally shit to put it on women.

I don’t know if it’s sexual harassment or just harassment that happened to be by a man but I was pestered via online messaging, followed to the printer/toilet etc by a male colleague. I took it to HR and was told “he probably just fancies you”. I took it further and he had a disciplinary, told not
to speak to me (he did), and HE was offered counselling (I wasn’t). He was moved a few desks away from me and then all forgotten.

I left shortly after.

Yeah, like another PP the most intense and prolonged harassment I ever had was at secondary, it wasn’t just one teacher either. I’ve had it in every job but one (funnily enough my dad worked there too) but it was comparatively mild, non-physical, and, I suppose, could charitably have been taken as ‘compliments’ (from men who were very creepy and more than old enough to know better).

Maybe I’m a sensitive sausage but I don’t think work is the place for sexual jokes….