Message #45859

[peana]

I like to think I've always been very professional at work and have never given off the wrong signals.  However, no one is immune to sexual harrassment, and it can be very ackward to deal with.  

In a previous job I'd always been friendly with a colleague - hubby and I had dinner with him and his wife on a few occassions, and I considered him a good friend.  Things started to get uncomfortable when I resigned - I had to give 3 months notice and he got increasingly flirtatious over this time, despite my protests.  Things never got beyond him trying to kiss me, and I did nothing about it formally as I knew I was leaving and he had been a good friend.  In fact we met again recently after a few years had passed and things were fine again.  

Although I like to think I'd be more assertive if I found myself in the same position, I know it's not always that simple.  I started to question myself and if I was over-reacting to little things.  I also found myself making excuses for his behaviour e.g. because he was French, maybe he was having a mid-life crisis (he had a daughter my age), etc..

My exisiting company has a strict code of conduct and guidelines about how to behave in the office, so I've never experienced anything similar since.  However, some of the guidelines are a bit extreme and as a PA to a male boss are impossible to follow e.g. to keep the door open if a man and woman are in a meeting alone together!

I hope any of you who are being harrassed are able to resolve your problems.  I know how rotten it can make your day and what it can do for your stress levels.