Wwyd about creepy cleaner who gave me a creepy handshake on my first day at work?

[GottaGetUp]

I started a new job last week. My first in 10 years. As I walked around the department on various tasks I was smiling at everyone, as the new person trying to be friendly. I walked past this cleaner a couple of times and smiled and he smiled back.

Later in the afternoon he came into a small side room I was in by myself. Asked if I was new, held out his hand and introduced himself. As I went to shake his hand he folded his middle finger in towards my palm and as we shook hands sort of stroked my palm with it. I went to pull my hand away as you do after a brief handshake (also icked out by the creepy finger thing) but he held on quite tightly. I had to put some force into removing my hand and had to sort of slither it out of his grasp rather than him letting go of it.

All this happened while I carried on the usual pleasantries. The conversation finished and he left the room. I’m pretty sure in my younger days with less confidence to assert myself I would have let him hold on to my hand much longer than I did, but I’m still annoyed with myself that I didn’t mention it to someone afterwards.

I feel like I should tell someone still. For context I work in a hospital so there is potential for him to have access to vulnerable women. I don’t expect any action to be taken from this one weird handshake, but I feel like I want it noted, or some acknowledgement that they have their eye on him, or something?

Again, this is my first time in a working environment in a decade, and I have no idea how to approach things.

Thanks for the reply @TheInebriati

I admit that I am pro-handshake. I think you can often tell something about a person from the way they shake hands - particularly the type of man who insists on squeezing hard.
@GottaGetUp had an unpleasant experience with this creep, but at least she now knows about him - if she hadn’t shaken hands he’d still be there sliming around, but she wouldn’t have had the warning signal.

I have had this done to me a couple of times years ago. Although I felt vaguely uneasy I didn't know why or what it meant. Grim. Men are odd creatures.

I think you can often tell something about a person from the way they shake hands

You really can’t, you know. And as we have seen, believing you can disadvantages women who are reluctant to shake hands for fear of being perved over.

Well this is all very bizarre. Friggin something else now to watch out for

Ugh

You really can’t, you know.

If someone tries to death crush your hand, I think it tells you a lot about them.
DH told me he had a lecturer at uni who, on shaking hands, gripped his hand tight, fixed him in the eyes and started forcing his arm to rotate, like some mid-air arm wrestle. DH just thought what a wanker!

Ew! I didn't know about this! Gross!

I told my manager and she reacted exactly the same as you lot, with an immediate cringe. Then acted pretty quickly and talked to his department. So it’s been passed up. Not sure if/when I’ll hear anything else about it, but she said thanks for telling her. So that’s all good. It’s ridiculous how hard it is saying that kind of stuff out loud, and this incident was so minor, very glad I’ve never had to report anything worse.

He was in the department today (before my boss had come in) but I avoided him and didn’t make eye contact. He said good morning to me at one point but I didn’t look up and sort of grunted a greeting in return. Hope he stays tf away from me from now on.

fuck me handshake

Well done

Well done - that's not an easy thing to do at any time, let alone when you're starting a new job.

Thanks. I do actually have a bit of a prior connection to the team so it was a bit easier than if it was all completely new to me.

I’m glad I ran it past MN, I might have just stewed on it otherwise. So thanks

Yes, really well done OP. it takes guts :) Really glad your manager got straight onto it. Hope all goes swimmingly with the job from now on :)