I had an incident at the office, and I’m really confused. My boss made a comment the other day next to me saying, “We’ll hang out a lot until you get married, especially at business dinners.” It seemed like a joke, but at the same time, it felt serious. My friends say this could be considered harassment, but I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. Do you think this is normal, or should I take some action?
5 Answers
5Has the patron said this to you or someone else before? I mean, do they usually speak in a suggestive way like this? If it’s the first time, it might just be a one-time thing, but if they do it often, I think you should seriously consider it. 
I think you should take a note directly. When, where they said it, who was there. Then if this happens again, clearly say ‘this joke makes me uncomfortable’ and see how they react. If it goes too far, escalate it to HR.
Such insinuations can be classified as mobbing under labor law. While we can’t say it’s harassment for sure, we can say it’s a boundary violation. You can reach out to a lawyer or a women’s rights organization with a written document.
After sending that, I thought a little. Actually, he sometimes makes flirtatious jokes like that, but there are always laughs accompanying them. That’s why I wasn’t uncomfortable at first. I don’t know if it will get serious.
Is it really necessary to label every remark as harassment? Maybe he just chose the wrong word. It can be confusing, but do you think every comment that involves flirting is harassment? I think you shouldn’t blow it out of proportion.