Have you made sexual innuendos in the work place?

[LucieChardon]

So the BBC reported that GregG said: "In over 20 years of television, can you imagine how many women, female contestants on MasterChef, have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo - can you imagine?"

Implying that many women also make sexual remarks or innuendos, in a professional environment. (His whole statement is doubling down that he's an obscene misogynist.)

I'm curious to know how true this is. I mean, with my own DH, joking with close friends, I might make a pun or a joke. Never with acquaintances, never with colleagues. What about you?

I find it hard to believe that there are many women who behave very differently from me. I think women are socialised to be generally less sexually aggressive.

YABU = I do make sexual remarks in the work place
YANBU = I do not make sexual remarks in the work place

Me and my female colleagues make loads of dirty jokes, yeah.

The worst I can think of having done is, on seeing an interviewee (who was exceptionally well built, well dressed and good looking) walk across the car park, I caught the eye of a female colleague and smiled. She smiled back.

I'd never say anything. Causes too many problems.

20 years ago, even 10 years ago, yes- it was not uncommon in a office where we saw each other everyday, went out drinking together etc. Never with people I didn't know well, and I wouldn't do it nowadays as the culture has changed.

There is a line though and you do have to know your audience (for lack of a better phrase!). I ended up complaining about a colleague that made constant sexual comments that just went too far, he was making them about female colleagues that were both junior and senior to us and it was just awful. When I spoke to my manager she agreed he was awful and everyone knew a complaint was a long time coming.

I work in a factory. We all make jokes, sometimes sexual some times not. There's one person that doesn't like stuff like that so we obviously don't make comments around her. We've worked together for years, we know how far we can go with the jokes

A voted YABU purely based on your assumption that we are all the same as you. There are loads of different types of woman, just like there are loads of different types of men.

Off topic, but what struck me was him trying to imply that the issue was the women, because they were all of a similar type - sorry Gregg, but the fact that you tend to go for similar types of women doesn't do anything to suggest it didn't happen - if anything it suggests the opposite - that you have a type, or maybe that you think you stand more of a chance with women of a certain age.

Yes. But not aimed at someone.
Along the lines of somebody saying “oh that’s a bit floppy” and responding “sorry!?”
But then my team all make similar innocent quips that aren’t aimed at anybody. I’d never make a sexual innuendo aimed at somebody, if that makes sense.

There's a vast spectrum of what could be called "sexual innuendo" which goes from accidental double entendre to disgusting harassment.

Bearing that in mind, I have of course made sexual innuendos in the workplace, and so has pretty much every woman I've ever met in and out of the workplace

Only with one colleague. Older man with a filthy sense of humour and it was all just in fun. But God we were outrageous at some points. I think you have to really know someone's sense of humour before you try banter like that otherwise you risk making them uncomfortable. It's certainly not for all workplaces.

Yes I probably did make mild sexual innuendos in my last job towards a male friend & colleague (we'll call him John) who was always saying that sort of stuff to most female colleagues. I'm quite embarrassed about it now but it was always in a jokey way & if I thought he was embarrassed I wouldn't have said it. We always made excuses for his behaviour as we suspected he was on the spectrum and he was actually a lovely guy. One instance I remember is, a team meeting was getting quite jokey & someone, for some reason said "is that a banana in John's pocket?" and our manager said "no he's just pleased to see you!" We all fell about in hysterics including John. Another time we were discussing the team Christmas photo & our new line manager said that maybe John could be Santa. He replied to her "only if you sit on my lap". Not sure if the line manager saw the funny side & she would have been completely in her rights to make a complaint to HR. In my current Jon everyone is friendly but always professional. You can't assume that others will find your 'joke' funny

“That’s what she said” is part of the furniture in our department from top to bottom.

I have to try not to catch people’s eye in meetings or all hands

The occasional joke, but only with certain colleagues that I really know well and trust.

I worked in an engineering department and most days involved innuendos! Definitely not flirtatious! Just light hearted banter that was funny.

I'm now a teacher and there are certainly innuendos in the staffroom!! Again, definitely not flirtatious and just light hearted banter between colleagues which quite frankly you need some times.

The problem is that it's become unacceptable to have banter nowadays in case it is construed in the wrong way.

My DH got called to HR last year as he wolf whistled in the office at his mate who was using his camera phone to do his hair. A young female employee complained about it as she thought it was aimed at her. The office has now become rather formal and less fun as everyone is so afraid of offending.

What is acceptable and what is not changes over time so dragging up stuff from the past seems harsh.

The Bake Off was full if innuendos. Made it really amusing! Loved the humour!

I'm not sure if it goes on so much today, but in our team (middle management insurance company) 15 years ago it was blatant and open. One woman just asked me who had the biggest cock of the men we worked with. We played football as part of th corporate bs of keeping clients of all levels onside so she knew I'd seen them all naked at some.point....sadly I couldn't say it was me

No, I blush very easily and I would have looked very stupid.

I do remember one Christmas very respectable female colleague made a very sexist and racist (about Chinese people) when she was drunk. The Managing Director looked horrified and everything went very quiet. I guess it can happen.

Nope, only once ever. That was with an older male colleague my desk was next to. He was a true gentleman, never so much as "looked" at me and no rude jokes, innuendo, etc. We worked together for a few years. If anything, it was me who instigated a bit of "fun" chat, which was basically me threatening to hit him with a ruler when he made a few jokey remarks (not sexual related) and he just replied "Oh yes please!" and that kind of thing became part of our regular chat routine. Once or twice I "may" have twanged him with a ruler on his arm and he'd say "do it again!" in a jokey way.

We both knew there was nothing in it and I think that's the key really - know your audience.

It's later millenials / Gen Z who tend to be more po-faced and right-on, generally. The women reporting Gregg Wallace don't fall into that demographic.

No.

It’s constant. But we are all very close friends. Mumsnetters would collapse if they spent one hour in my office.

Justifying when NO means yes. A little man with an over developed ego. He deserves every bit of shit that will carry on showering down upon him until he is on I’m a celebrity 2026, following court cases and the breaking of multiple NDA’s. Fuck him!!!

Yes but only with the right audience

Never.

Not deliberately no. But with colleagues I know well I would laugh at an accidental innuendo. With other groups I would gloss over straight faced.

Greg seems not to understand that it might only be more mature and financially secure women who have the power to speak up.

Only once, and entirely on accident. I said I was a very 'oral person'. The EHO I rather unfortunately said this to, was a Greg Wallace soulmate, and picked it up and ran with it. . .