Just looking to vent/commiserate with colleagues who get it and have been on the receiving end of harassment..
Last week an employee made a totally off-hand sexual comment to me… I went into a freeze response, this guy has been making comments about my appearance for a couple months now, and finally crossed a line.
I was the only HR person in the office because of the holiday week, and I’m normally the one handling investigations and employee relations issues, not the one having to report them.
I had to report it my boss while he was on PTO and then sit with it over the holiday until he got back to the office to address it. Meanwhile, I’ve had to see this guy every day, act neutral, and keep things professional while my nervous system is going haywire. It’s been really triggering and honestly pretty destabilizing ~ especially having to surrender to and trust my boss and CEO’s investigation process without me spearheading.
He’s being written up and will hopefully be moved to a different office tomorrow, but the whole experience of having no one to report to except the person who was out, and being in the position I’m usually supporting others through… it just hit harder than I expected. Ultimately, I feel like I’m losing because I have to deal with the emotional turmoil of this and still be near this guy at work.
Anyway — just venting because this role can feel lonely sometimes, and it’s surreal when you suddenly become “the case.”
Would love to hear from anyone who’s been in a similar spot or has words of solidarity.