Not all heroes wear capes. Some just wag their tails. Recently, Bored Panda has received a confession from a girl who wanted to remain anonymous. Reading about the way her boss sexually harassed her you can't help but think that she probably was just one step away from something really, really terrible. And that one step barrier wasn't crossed thanks to a dog.
"I learned about this job through my father as he occasionally works for this man, and he adores my dad's work and persona," the girl told Bored Panda. "My boss is an older gentleman and has recently become single which leaves him in need of help either around the house, driving him, or walking his dog. I first met my boss in May of this year when I tagged along with my dad to renovate his kitchen. On my off days from my other job at the time, I would help my dad with his work despite being a girl."
"My first impression of him was a 'Man in Power,' someone who gets his way, doesn't take bullshit from anyone, and is brutally honest. When I was there with my dad, my boss was completely respectful, never bothered us as we worked, generally no red flags at all."
It's also worth mentioning that our heroine loves dogs. "When there's a dog in the room, I give all my attention to the good boy or girl. The main duty in my job description was to take care of this man's dog: walk her, feed her, play with her. I bonded with her when we first met and we reconnected around 2 weeks ago. She's very sweet and always wants affection which I provide." (Facebook cover image: onesight1)
"My boss was coming on to me strong. As a joke, I called out to his dog to protect me"
Image credits: iStock (not the actual photo)
"The first two days were normal because I still did not see any red flags and things were going great. Now my boss is a man who always gives hugs to ANYONE he greets. Male, female, child. So I didn't think anything weird of it until I started to feel his hand brushing against my thighs, my hips, my lower back... Then it got to the point where he wouldn't let me go from a hug and hold me in place and despite my protest, he combated it with, 'don't worry, I know you enjoy it.' He had liked to make comments on my body and say how he enjoyed viewing me. I usually tried to laugh it off and walk away because I'm not a confronting person and am scared to hurt other's feelings."
"She listened and turned against him"
Image credits: Ger Dekker (not the actual photo)
"I was sitting on the sofa tying my shoes with the dog laying by my feet and I became surprised when I suddenly felt hands pulling on my hips. I moved forward and told him no. He came around the sofa and started walking straight towards me saying how he's going to 'tickle' me. I panicked and called the dog's name along with, 'help me' or 'protect me' to distract him for a little longer before he touched me again. To my surprise, she got up and stood guard growling & barking at him. He was surprised but also laughing and told me to make her stand down and reward her by saying 'good girl.' My boss then walked away and didn't touch me for the rest of the time I was there."
"I haven't quit yet because I'm currently looking into another job. I live paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to quit immediately. And I haven't sued him as well. I don't want to make anything public and I feel that I don't have much power to do anything about it other than quit and move on. He's his own boss and already feels he's above everyone else."
"I'm not an expert on dog behavior and I don't understand why a dog would disobey its master over someone it barely knows. But from what I have gathered, dogs have a tendency to protect those in distress so she probably detected something was wrong and that I was panicking. Some people could say that she may 'feel his wrath' after disobeying him, but he really loves his dog and I don't see any signs of an abused animal. She's just as healthy and bright as I met her."
"It is hard to talk about it because sometimes I have thoughts questioning if I'm making it up or this is how men are. The hardest part is trying to tell others such as close friends and family. It feels as if I'll bring shame or that I'm 'dirty.' I know my family would do something about it but I feel embarrassed and shameful."
After she shared her experience online, she was overwhelmed by the amount of support she has received and has a couple of advice to pass on to others who might be dealing with something similar:
1. Keep your distance. Minimum: 5 ft. Always be aware of your space and if he steps forward, step backwards;
2. Body language. Cross arms to show disinterest and stand tall and head high to show no sign of weakness;
3. Be in charge of the conversation when it's not about work. Shut down any ideas or subjects that can lead to anything sexual. Or diverge to a different subject;
4. Talk about your interest in another person. A person you like or your boyfriend. Show him that there’s no room for him in your mind bc you already have someone.
1. Keep your distance. Minimum: 5 ft. Always be aware of your space and if he steps forward, step backwards;
2. Body language. Cross arms to show disinterest and stand tall and head high to show no sign of weakness;
3. Be in charge of the conversation when it's not about work. Shut down any ideas or subjects that can lead to anything sexual. Or diverge to a different subject;
4. Talk about your interest in another person. A person you like or your boyfriend. Show him that there’s no room for him in your mind bc you already have someone.
Here's what people had to say about the whole situation
