DDs boss being inappropriate

[ParochialE9]

DD 17 has recently got a part time job at her favourite high street fashion store (her dream job). She's been there for two weeks and DDs boss has taken her mobile number from her job application and been messaging her on Whatsapp. It's been messages asking her to do overtime etc, so connected to work but a bit overfamiliar eg calling her by a nickname and a lot more correspondence than necessary. Today I picked her up and she said boss had cornered her in staff room and made comments about her whatsapp icon saying 'I don't want to say what I'm thinking while I'm looking at that picture of you in that green top' (it's a pic of her and her friend at a party, so they're made up but nothing revealing). She laughed it off and promptly changed the icon to one of her and her boyfriend but it's made her feel very uncomfortable. He's messaged her again since she got home asking her to work tomorrow and Friday, when he already knows she can't as has loads of college work. What would you do? My instinct is to put in a complaint and not let her go back but as I said it's her dream job. So pissed off that a 30 year old thinks it's ok to behave like this towards a 17 year old girl!

If her dads around I'de send him in there, have a quiet word and say anymore and you'll report him for grooming a child, also any awkward comeback and you'll do the same.

If your dd is up to it, it might be an idea for her to say she feels uncomfortable, and she wouldn't want anyone to assume anything untoward is going on. It's still an undefined threat, but subtle enough for him to back off and stop this behaviour in good enough time.

Is the shop part of a chain? Is there an HR in the head office?

Id be sending a concerned query to head office asking if this is acceptable behaviour from management. Get her to change her number and someone picking her up from work (you, Dh, bf) Keep all messages.

Block the number - if phone doesn't allow it can block on what's app and put in a complaint.

How grim. Yuck. She's over the age of consent but she's his subordinate and these messages would be just as unacceptable if she were a 27yo or 47yo underling (although admittedly not as sleazy). It's such a shame that this has happened, given that she was so excited about the role. She must be disappointed. Perhaps next time he messages her, she could message him back asking him to use her email for business use, because she only uses social media for personal use - this would establish a boundary and make it clear that she views him in a professional light only.

Yes I've thought the same, email would be a more appropriate means of conversing. Yes Imperial it's TopShop!

This happened to me. It built up like this till one night he manipulated the situation do that he was alone with me. Then he locked me in and stood in front of the door and 'jokingly' wouldn't let me go home. I had to talk my way out.

I wrote a letter to the head office and he was fired. It was only my word against his.

That's what would worry me about this man, Savoy. I'm glad he was fired, the sleazy bastard.

It's sexual harassment. she should keep all the messages, and not reply. And keep a log of incidents. And complain: the complaints procedure will be in the staff handbook. It's a big organisation and should have a decent HR department: he might also have been harassing other staff.

Nasty for your poor DD to have to deal with.

Definitely contact head office. Find out about the social media policy as well and appropriate means of contact.

I'd be tempted to reply to one of his messages with "hello, this is DDs mum here, I don't think you should be messaging my daughter outside of work with inappropriate messages". If he replies and tries to justify his texts then you can say "in that case you won't mind me forwarding these to HR".