I work in a taxi office on Saturday nights which, as you can imagine, can be very rowdy. The first two weeks there was an employee in the office with me most of the night to deal with any fights that arose. I got on well with him but I didn't have a crush on him as I am 16 and he is 30 and married with children. However, he touched me quite a lot. We were alone most of the night and when I was sitting down he would brush my hair back out of my face or put his hands on my shoulders. When I was walking in the door at one point I tripped and he grabbed my shoulder and hip to steady me and his hand stayed on my hip for a lot longer than necessary. When I talked to him he looked directly at me and as I dont often like making eye contact i looked at the wall or the floor, until he lifted my chin and made me look into his eyes. I feel a bit freaked and don't know what to do as I could be spending a lot more time alone with him.
Sam
Hi there,
Nobody has the right to make you feel uncomfortable and if this happens at work or school then it’s important to tell someone you trust so that they can make sure it stops. Telling another person something so personal can be difficult, but it’s better than trying to cope alone.
As an employee at this taxi firm, you have rights. Your employer is responsible for making sure that your workplace is a safe place for everyone and that includes putting a stop to inappropriate behaviour.
It’s not okay for anyone to touch you in a way that you don’t want to be touched. And if someone is touching you like this, it’s harassment. If there’s a manager or supervisor then you could talk to them about what’s been happening and explain you don’t want to work with him any more. It’s your employer’s responsibility to take this seriously and do something about it.
If you tell someone and nothing changes – or there is nobody you feel able to tell safely – then it’s always okay to leave. You shouldn’t have to leave a job because of something like this, and it might be a good idea to get some legal advice about it. You can get free advice from your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
And remember you can always talk to our counsellors for support. They're here to support you.
Hope that helps. Thanks for the letter.
Take care, Sam
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