Woman Gets Office 'Hunk' Fired And Now Her Co-Workers Have Turned On Her
He was involved in illegal activity, but her co-workers will hear none of it.
David Gyung / Shutterstock A woman is seeking advice after encountering troubles with her colleagues at work. Until a few months ago, she loved her job and the people she worked with.
However, all of that changed after one male employee, who was dubbed the office “hunk,” began working for the company. Everyone seemed to be fond of him except for her.
The woman soon discovered that her intuition was right and the hunk was a dud. When she decided to take action, her colleagues ridiculed her.
The woman reported her new ‘hunk’ colleague to HR after she noticed illegal activity on his work desk.
The woman’s dilemma was shared on best-selling author Jane Green’s agony aunt column.
“Dear Jane, I've been working in the same job for about six years now, and until a few months ago, I was always very lucky to have been blessed with what I thought were great colleagues,” the woman wrote.
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“But back in September, a new member of the team joined us, and he very quickly established himself as the office 'hunk,' earning a lot of fans — both among the women, who think he's handsome, and with the men, who he bonds with over football and drinking.”
While everyone else at the company got along well with the new employee, the woman worked most frequently with him and quickly picked up on his problematic behavior and habits.
“I'd hear him making horrible and cruel comments to people from other companies on the phone and making disgusting, offensive jokes about some of the women in the office behind their backs,” she shared.
Initially, the woman did not let the man’s behavior interfere with her job and focused on her work.
“Slowly, however, his behavior began to get more erratic — and ended up with him screaming at a poor woman down the phone for no reason whatsoever,” she wrote.
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When she approached to intervene, she happened to look at his desk and saw something rather jarring. “[I] saw what was very obviously some drug paraphernalia sitting there by his computer,” the woman wrote.
“He tried to cover it up with his keyboard but I knew exactly what I saw and decided that I needed to report him to HR. Which I did.”
In the end, HR determined that terminating the employee would be best, much to the woman’s relief.
Her colleagues were not as thrilled, and many turned against her after learning she reported him to HR.
“Nobody else in the office was really aware of what was going on, and they all seem to have taken the view now that I'm some kind of snitch who was out to get him from the start,” the woman shared.
“It feels like they've all turned against me, and I'm growing so tired of the snide comments and pointed whispers that going into the office has become miserable.”
The woman said that the entire situation has made her work life “miserable” and she does not want to report her colleagues’ behavior to her boss to avoid any more ridicule.
“I know there's more to life than a job, but the idea of walking away from this great position because of the behavior of this [expletive] is so frustrating!” she added, asking how she should proceed.
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While Jane validated the woman’s frustrations, she also praised her, telling her that she absolutely did the right thing no matter how difficult it was.
“It's hard to be the lone warrior for justice, but please know that you absolutely did the right thing, even though you might be regretting it now,” she wrote. “It takes real bravery to report, particularly when it runs the risk of alienating others, and again, I applaud your courage.”
To improve her situation, Jane encouraged the woman to gather her colleagues together, perhaps for a drink after work, and explain to them her reasonings behind reporting their co-worker to HR.
“Tell them you stand by your decision because nobody deserves to be spoken about behind their backs nor treated badly. Explain that you have been very happy in your job and have always felt blessed to have such great colleagues,” she said.
As difficult as it may be, employees have a responsibility to report their colleagues to HR if they catch them engaging in illegal activity.
Illegal activities in the workplace can expose the company to liabilities and repercussions. Reporting such activities helps ensure that the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations.
Illegal activities can also create an unsafe and hostile work environment for employees. Reporting such behavior to HR helps maintain a safe and respectful workplace for everyone, including the colleagues who were bad-mouthing the woman for doing the right thing.
Even if it may not feel like it now, she is the unsung hero of the company, even if she did get rid of the office "hunk."
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.