"Luckily, our bank has a very clear policy"

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Sexual harassment: Women’s stories

image: Luckily, our bank has a very clear policy

I’m a 27 year-old bank worker. I love my job. I get to meet new people every day and there’s never a dull moment in the bank. Sure, some of the customers get frustrated with the waiting time and take it out on staff, but we find ways to cope and laugh it off afterwards.

Last year, one of the male colleagues on our floor started sending me nasty emails on the bank’s system. The first time it happened, I was shocked and didn’t know what to do. I was too embarrassed to even talk to anyone about it. I ignored the email and didn’t say anything, thinking that would be it.

Well, he started sending me more emails – usually pictures of naked women. Then he started to Facebook message me and tell me things he wanted to do to me. I mean I’d barely said two words to this guy! I spoke to my colleague about it and she suggested talking to my immediate supervisor.

Luckily, our bank has a very clear policy with strict guidelines on this sort of thing. My complaint was taken seriously and the guy was disciplined. Well, actually he lost his job over it. At first I felt bad about that, but then I had to remind myself I had done nothing wrong – he was in the wrong! I think that’s part of the problem, that we worry too much about other people and make excuses for their bad behaviour.

Turns out he had been sending the same emails to other female staff using the bank’s intranet system, which was in violation of our official code of conduct. I mean its 2017. Surely that means that when I go to work I don’t have to deal with pornographic emails in my inbox – and no I didn’t find them funny at all.

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16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign (2017)
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign (2017)
Activism against Gender-Based Violence
domestic violence
gender
sexual harassment
social development
social development
gender
sexual harassment
Activism against Gender-Based Violence
domestic violence