The title says it all but a little back story.
About 4 almost 5 months ago, my normal manager was fired abruptly one of the days I was out. I (f28) work from home and have been for over a year and I’ve never met any of my coworkers in person, including the manager that was fired. (this is important later). The operations manager for my department and they’ve been claiming to be in the process of hiring a new one. This has been on going for months.
My operations manager knows I’m a newly divorced single mom. Though I have a partner, he works long hours himself. My ex isn’t involved with my daughter so if my kiddo ends up sick or needing anything I’m the go to. It’s not ideal but I’ve had to take more days off than most. It makes me feel awful but I don’t have a support system. My partner can only do so much as he has no legal say over my kiddo and his job makes more money so calling off is less ideal.
Because of this, my manager and I don’t like one another. He brought in HR last time I had to take time off work to take my daughter to the emergency room when she broke her foot. Constantly telling me “man I don’t know how you single moms do it. You all work so hard” all while threatening to fire me. He’s made inappropriate jokes about HR needing to take specific mental health drugs when dealing with him.
Recently my manager has been making us come into office Wednesdays. Up until recently I’ve been able to avoid it. He decided to make it mandatory. I figure out childcare for my kiddo and come into office.
Let me remind everyone, I’ve NEVER met a single one of my coworkers in person up until that day. I go in everyone is nice. My manager is avoiding me. I tried to say hi, I tried to ask a question. Each time he’d walk away from me.
Until 12:30pm. I was working with a client and he comes up behind me, grabs my thigh and whispers in my ear “don’t be shy you can come say hi to me.” Now when I say he grabbed my thigh. He did it in such a way I thought it was my partner.
I go home shocked. I feel violated. I cried for hours and couldn’t sleep. I tell my partner and my dad. I power through Thursday and Friday. On Friday he messages me on teams telling me he needs to reschedule our meeting. When before it had been a notification from outlook. It was more personal and he went into detail. It made me even more comfortable.
Monday rolls around and I can’t do it. I come up with some bullshit excuse and proceed to call out the next two days. Thursday I called a meeting with HR. told them everything. Friday she was suppose to call me back. I know HR isn’t my friend and I know I’m at risk for losing my job. I’m scared to go back Tuesday because there is no way my boss doesn’t know I’m the one who reported.
I’m looking for another job but Christ I’m terrified. I never wanted to be another statistic of another sexual assault in the work place but here we are.
I hate this. And I’m not okay. I’m getting help but this really messed me up. Part of me feels like I’m over reacting and guilty but I know I’m not. I’m also afraid If nothing happens he will do it again to someone else.
TL/DR: my boss sexually harassed/assaulted me. I reported him to HR and I’m afraid of being fired and him continuing this behavior.