The boss made a joke about my physique at the meeting

Women's Agenda & Solidarity
1

Today we were in a meeting at work, and everyone from the team was there. The topic was completely work-related, but suddenly the boss made a joke about my physique. I couldn’t even tell if it was a joke or an insult. Nobody said anything, the atmosphere just froze. I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t say anything. What kind of reaction do you think I should have given, or can I still respond?

2

Has your boss been acting strange towards you? Their comments about your physique are odd. Has something like this happened before? I suggest you be careful :melting_face:

3

I can say I experienced the same thing. My old boss always made fun of me, saying, ‘Visuals are important, you’ll be our showcase.’ I stayed silent, but it turned into mobbing afterwards. If you’re going to do something, I suggest you don’t waste time.

4

What kind of logic is this @emine.k? Everyone panics and screams “mobbing” right away. Maybe the guy just said it unintentionally. We need to listen and understand first.

5

What exactly tone did they say it in? I mean, was it obvious that it was a joke? Is this how they usually act like this, or did they make such a comment for the first time?

6

@elifdeniz so the tone was normal, but they looked at me before saying what they said. They had never said anything like that to my face before, but honestly, there were times when I caught them giving me strange looks.

7

I think this could officially cross the line into inappropriate behavior and harassment in the workplace. You can directly file a complaint with a Human Resources department regarding employee rights. If there’s no such mechanism in the company, take notes and consult a lawyer for future use.

8

@soran Why are you silent? If you don’t react, it will continue. If you had said something there, maybe it wouldn’t repeat.

9

Talking so easily about women’s physical characteristics has become tired. Whether at work or on the street, as long as we normalize it, it’s always the same. There’s no respect, it’s really a shame :flushed_face:

10

@ayselcik_ I don’t think it’s necessary to exaggerate. Is it really accurate to say it’s harassment outright? It might have been just a joke. We shouldn’t view everything in such a fragmented way; let’s not be so rigid.