35 Internet Users Open Up About The Creepiest Things They Heard And Saw At Work

When dealing with someone behaving inappropriately at work, communication is everything. Unless the other person suddenly becomes extremely self-aware, the odds are that they’ll continue doing what they’ve been doing. That is unless someone calls them out for their behavior.

You can start things off very simply. Very calmly tell your problematic colleague that you don’t appreciate them doing something the next time they overstep your boundaries. By all means, be assertive, but don’t sound accusatory or judgmental. Make your boundaries very clear.

If your coworker is reasonable at all, they’ll change their behavior after you bring up the problem. Some folks have an issue with self-awareness. They don’t understand how their actions impact the people around them.

Others, however… well, if they’re narcissistic enough, they won’t ever admit that they’re wrong. They’ll continue causing chaos and acting creepy because they want to. In that case, it’s probably best to escalate things. Document some examples of their behavior and go talk to human resources, your supervisor, or your boss. Maybe they can help put an end to the toxicity.

Meanwhile, you might feel uncomfortable being anywhere near that coworker. You might want to consider sitting further away from them. Or, if things are seriously bad, you might even want to consider transferring to another department altogether. Though, if that’s the case, it’s an indication that there’s an issue with the entire workplace environment. Looking for another job might be your best way forward. Though, if you have the time and money, you can always seek legal help. There’s no excuse for harassment at work.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you what your boundaries are, how you communicate them, and how you enforce them. It’s also up to you to decide whether you still want to stay at the company if the problematic individual gets spoken to, reassigned, or fired.

However, in some cases, keep more of an open mind about the importance of having crystal-clear communication about your boundaries. Some individuals aren’t ignoring subtle social norms because they’re ‘creeps.’ As The New York Times Magazine points out, some people can struggle with social cues and behavioral norms because they have autism spectrum disorder. Other folks might be extremely socially awkward. And yet, this is not a blank check to do whatever you want.

“Once the rules have been carefully explained, however, it’s infantilizing to use the condition as an excuse for harmful behavior. It isn’t hard to understand a rule that, say, forbids a supervisor from making sexual or romantic overtures to junior staff members. An adult man on the autism spectrum is an adult man; the spectrum isn’t a certificate of sainthood,” Kwame Anthony Appiah writes.

What is the creepiest thing you've ever seen, heard, or experienced in the workplace, Pandas? Have you ever had to deal with a colleague who completely ignores common sense and thinks boundaries are optional? How did you handle the situation? Let us know in the comment section, at the bottom of this post.