That not all men in the workplace are creeps

[Littleredhen39]

My daughter is doing a summer internship. She was only looking for work experience so had sent out her CV to various places in the industry she is interested in to ask for maybe a day or so of work experience.

She mostly got ‘no’s but the offer speaking to people on their graduate programmes for an insight - all great. She then got an e-mail back from a chap saying they have just opened a new office and there maybe scope to take on a summer internship at relatively short notice. Amazing!

She works very closely with this man / in his 60’s my daughter is 19 and has learned a lot from him and was very excited at the prospect of coming back again next summer for another internship.

Anyway she felt a little uneasy about how much he was singing her praises and spoke to someone on the graduate scheme in the office who told her is a creep. He tried to kiss this graduate and kept sending her messages and then blanked her for a long time after she rejected him. The graduate then mentioned that it’s the same everywhere she no point complaining or leaving. My daughter is now upset that harrassment in the workplace is still a big issue and she doesn’t want to work there and is worried about meeting the same elsewhere. Naively assumed ‘me too’ had sorted this.

I work in a very female dominated industry so not really had issues - but also all work places have a resident creep? I did tell her this chap has not done anything to you and to make sure she keeps her boundaries!

One company it was rife. My manager tried to kiss me while we were at a conference dinner. And a sales rep routinely slapped women's bums. When reported to HR, they just moved him into a remote role so none of us had to see him. Was not sad to leave there.

Never had an issue since, although I am now old and unattractive, so there is that saving grace. 🙄

I can't think of anyone creeps in my office. Most men these days are extremely cautious and aware of the repercussions of saying or doing anything that could even be perceived as creepy.

In a decade in my very male-dominated industry I've known of 3 actual creeps, as in tried it on/were pushy about it. Had a fair amount of inappropriate comments and far more casual (or not casual) sexist ones. I've met hundreds of men through work (and worked alongside dozens), lots of who were brilliant and not remotely predatory. Much like in life!

I worked predominantly in print but also manufacturing and shipping. All hugely male dominated.

The creepy ones were easy to avoid but in over 50 years of working I can only recall about five or six creeps against the hundreds of other male colleagues who were decent to work alongside in that time.