Hello guys,
I just wanted to get your advice on what I should do in a situation that’s been bugging me for some time now.
I work online with my team basically scattered everywhere around the world, but we sometimes have these in-person gatherings in certain headquarters.
I have a colleague that I’ve had communication with in the past year through our work chat channel, normal work conversation for the most part. He’s not in the same country as me. I was noticing he was writing to me a lot on this chat program, but I was extremely disturbed after this first real meeting with everyone. We had an event where there was a pool and at one point I was walking away with another female colleague and notice him coming after us, addressing me only and asking if I brought my bikini with me. And after that specifically addressing me with my name even though I was not trying to get away from him as much as possible. I was creeped out as f.
Second meeting with our team a few months later, he follows me everywhere. Literally coming up to me, I try to ignore, trying to be polite at the same time. I walked away at one point. Literally.
Then it was online communication all over again and he kept writing “how are you”to me SO many times. Never a reply from my part. Because I only use this work chat program for internal communication, I stopped replying as once when I replied and asked what help he needed he replied saying “nothing, we haven’t chatted for a while” or sth like that. We have never chatted!!! I counted it, he has asked “how are you?” like 15 times. God.
We have these internal small team meetings every week on a specific day and have an icebreaker in the beginning of the meetings doing an online circle. Like, someone asks a question like “what is your fav book” and then it’s passed from one colleague to another, saying the next person’s name. He just keeps saying my name, I’ve noticed, for the past few weeks.
So sorry for this long explanation but I’m just so annoyed that I feel harassed even working online by a male. I am not sure if this can even be reported as on the surface he seems not to be doing anything but he is!!!