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Originally Posted by barbella
Oh starryprince, I am so sorry this happened to you. It's not OK for anyone to do that. I like Jan1212's suggestion. I'd also suggest to document what happened and the any subsequent interactions you have (including any discussion about boundaries and professionalism). You might also want to check the organization's website to see if they have any policies on workplace harassment. There might be some tips there that you could use. If you are uncomfortable approaching this person, it's really OK to go to the HR department. That's what they're there for.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hvert
I would report it. What that person did was seriously out of line and kind of crazy. There's a danger that if you don't report it, she will report it and claim that you were the one who came onto her. I would not confront the coworker and I would avoid being alone with her.
It would be one thing if this was a single person your age (still extremely inappropriate). A married coworker 30 years older doing something like that is quite disturbing. Does she have direct contact with clients? Doesn't this indicate a danger that she might act inappropriately with them? I would definitely report this.
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Thank you to Jan1212 and everyone else who posted.
I actually DID end up reporting it to my clinical supervisor. However, it was more intense than I thought it would be.
You see, I have two supervisors, a clinical one and a task supervisor. I see my task supervisor everyday but my clinical supervisor (CS) only once a week. My clinical supervisor asked if I wanted to tell my task supervisor (TS) and I said no, I would just talk to the coworker myself. Well, my CS DID end up telling my task supervisor, and my TS called me into her office. I explained what happened to my TS and she was shocked and disgusted. You see, my TS is ALSO the coworker's supervisor as well.
WELL. My TS told administration and a meeting was held (without the coworker), in which I had to tell administration what happened. Then I had to file a sexual harassment report. I don't know if they will confront my coworker but my TS was disturbed by it and she said, "I was getting red flags from her but I wasn't sure why. Now it all makes sense. I can't be her supervisor anymore. That is totally unethical". I don't know what those red flags were but yes...This is what happened.
What makes this all the more creepy is the fact that the coworker is actually a social work intern, and they will and have interacted with children and young adults.
I also DID end up talking to the coworker. I said, "What you did made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and I would appreciate it if you didn't talk to me again." She just said, "I understand". That was it.
This was a very disturbing thing to have happened to me, even if people may not think it's a big deal. I actually look a lot younger than my age, which makes it worse.
But this made me realize that I have power and autonomy and I can stand up for myself.