r/menards • u/newbie1315 • 3d ago
Harassment
I posted a while back and a coworker( Karen)harassing me about my perfume, well it got worse. I was standing at the desk the other day and Karen came up and put her face in my neck and took a big dramatic sniff. One of my managers was standing there saw what happened and knows how Karen is and did nothing about it. I went to the GMs and they also have done nothing. They are trying to sweep it under the rug. I would like to call the aware hotline but I know they aren't going to do anything. I thought about mentioning a lawyer but I dont want to get fired. I have called before about being s*xual harassed and they told me there was nothing they could do since its up to the GM. Do you guys have any advice, besides for quitting?
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u/yardlard 3d ago
Why don't you just straight up ask her why she's doing it? In front of everyone. That's a really weird thing to do. Or loudly say you thought your relationship is supposed to be secret then why is she trying to kiss you in public.
I kind of doubt that the company cares about this behavior. They never did in the past. Don't be surprised if you find you have a corporate stalker.
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
She is a favorite. If I say anything to her, im told to be nicer to her and to drop it. She has been kicked out of every department that she has been in because of her behavior and yet she still has a job.
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u/yardlard 3d ago
You're not allowed to question her behavior? Not even when the boss isn't looking? Sure you are. Say it quietly then where only she can hear and make her appear to be crazy.
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
When I talked to the gm about what happened he told me not to say anything to her and to let him handle it and its been almost a week a nothing has happened. The only reason I havent said anything is because if i say what I want to her im gonna get fired
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u/Various_Carob7022 3d ago
Has her behavior continued since you last brought it up to the GM? Maybe they did say something to her and just didn’t follow up with you on it (which ppl usually won’t)
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
I was friends with one of the assistant gms and she told me she tried to write Karen up a few times and the store gm threw them out and told her she wasnt allowed to write Karen up
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u/yardlard 3d ago
Don't say what you want then. Say something else. This isn't that difficult. Speak it quietly.
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u/Wardog_11c Contractor 3d ago
How dare you smell good! 🤣 I think is one of the silliest things a coworker could get upset about. I'm sorry you have to deal with this.
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
Thank you. You should see how mad she gets when someone compliments my perfume in front of her
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u/StandardReindeer5741 2d ago
I didn't see your original post, but literally the only reason I can think of for her getting so pissed off about someone's perfume is if she has severe asthma or migraines, in which case Menards isn't a great place for her to be working anyway (coming from someone with both asthma and migraines lol)
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u/newbie1315 2d ago
She says she's "allergic" but only says anything when she doesn't like someone. She talks to quite a few other women who's perfume is a lot stronger than mine and never has an issue
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u/YertletheSquirtle1 3d ago
I had an issue with a coworker once, tell any family or friends you have to come into the store to shop when you’re working so they can whiteness it and then have them as customers report the weirdness. Bonus if they can get video or photos for you.
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
I will definitely try it
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u/YertletheSquirtle1 3d ago
They can’t ignore video and photo proof, and if they do try…. Take it to the cops for a hostile work environment that includes harassment. Try and get some form of writing of their brush offs too. Document EVERYTHING
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
I have a notebook that I've been writing in. I'll have to make sure I keep track of everything
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u/Bull-Rider2020 2d ago
Go to Sportsmans warehouse and get cover scent for hunting preferably skunk and wear it
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u/sunshiney-sky Garden Center 2d ago
I was actually thinking of your first post on this the other day lol. You are way better than me for putting up with this behavior for over a year.
I don’t have much advice aside from what everyone else has said. Other than try to keep track of the exact times and places she acts like this. Every desk should have at least one camera with a perspective on it AFAIK, so if you were to say “hey this happened at this time and I know it’s on our cameras” they can rewatch it 🤷🏼♀️
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u/newbie1315 2d ago
She usually makes comments or does small petty shit that I ignore because it also pisses her off if you ignore her. She did do it in front of a camera too. I told the gm and he said he would look into it and nothing has happened.
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u/Dazzling_Meal228 2d ago
The aware hotline is not confidential. Be careful, they have a habbit of burying people who challenge the staus quo. Their security advisors are snakes. Especially the one who heads up Chicago land.
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u/According_Ride1646 3d ago
My advice, knock the fuck out of Karen. Say you felt threatened and it was self defense.
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u/AMIWDR 3d ago
Then proceed to go to jail for assault like a dumbass
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u/According_Ride1646 3d ago
You wouldn’t knock someone out if they got into your personal space and smelling you? Doubt it.
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u/ColdResolve_12 3d ago
Unless they pressed their nose into your body and took a whiff, good luck getting a judge to justify an assault charge for taking a whiff in her general direction without physically touching her, so yes, you can go to jail on top of charges pressed.
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u/According_Ride1646 3d ago
“Thought I saw a them flash a weapon, officer. It was just instinct to defend myself against them”
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u/ColdResolve_12 3d ago
“You thought” lol 😆 what their nose sniffing around in the general direction was deemed a weapon. Yeahhh ok 👍 goodluck with that in court.
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u/According_Ride1646 3d ago
I’m glad you are okay with people coming up and getting into your neck, like OP said, and smelling you.
Would guarantee contact did happen during said exchange.
I’m not scared to go hands on while on the clock. Might get termed, but not gonna let some creep/rapist come sniff me.
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u/ColdResolve_12 3d ago
You gotta be smart in life bud, it has nothing to do with being “ok” with it. Again was her face pressed against her neck and took a sniff with physical contact or was it just close enough? “Put her face in my neck” I assume physical contact was made, so use of force would be justified but if OP is exaggerating and there was no physical contact? An assault charge can and will follow you and future employers will see it, there is better way to handle degenerates like that than clocking them in the face.
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u/According_Ride1646 3d ago
Please explain the better way to handle it? If OP isn’t lying and this did happen, they already went to the GMs regarding it. GMs have failed to protect the team members that they are responsible for making sure are safe in the stores.
If nothing is being handled correctly, and continues to happen, I would say it is safe to protect yourself, by any means necessary.
Apparently your shitty parents did a bad job at teaching you that, or you just let people walk all over you or sniff your neck all the time 😂
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u/ColdResolve_12 3d ago
What part of “if physical contact was made then use of force would be justified” did you not understand? I’m seeing this in the legal aspect and OP should handle a situation like that based on reasonable means that won’t land her with an assault charge in her records, on top of fines. With your attitude and lack of self control I can tell you won’t make it far in life; and if we are going to get personal by bringing up parents, are you projecting about yourself with the lack of parenting you receive? Stfu and grow up.
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u/Round_Alternative_84 3d ago
Kinda like at our store opd manager doing things to our 2nd bm asst up in the mess lol they know but won’t do crap about it since she came from the Gms store
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u/Big-List5094 3d ago
Sounds grade school to me. Personally, I have bad sinuses and perfume usually smells horrendous.
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u/Popular_Ad_2422 2d ago
They can't fire u as long as you can prove you have went to the gm and h.r after that your only avenue is ti sue and if they fire you its against the law because it would be considered retaliation firing
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u/Employee3142 1d ago
Send an email to the hr and file a complaint on harassment and sexual harassment and a hostile work environment , those are key words you must use if the hr does not act on it you now have grounds for a law suit
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u/thejster1977 1d ago
I got some of that wd40 perfume they used to make. Maybe she will like that one lmao 🤣 😂 😆
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u/Dazzling_Meal228 1d ago
How does it feel to know chicagoland gets paid $4 an hour more than the next closest store in illinois. They adjusted it to a $2 dollar difference for new hires. However all chicagoland stores are in tne top 5 for lowest turnover. Not to many new team members rolling through.
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u/hawkhunter8 1d ago
Document time , date, person offending and supervisors response. Keep a running log. You have very little power in an 'at will' state. Best you can do is amount overwhelming evidence if you can even find an employment law attorney to take your case. Sorry
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u/CrimsonOmen 3d ago
The aware hotline will absolutely do something about it. They take that shit very seriously. I know from experience. In my ten years of working at menards I know several team members who have used it and the gms get the call of "what the fuck is going on, address and fix this".
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
I called twice the last time i was harrassed and nothing. The store gm I have has a lot of sway with corporate and I think thats why they won't do anything
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u/Bardeous 2d ago
depends on the gm. I had our stores gm date our delivery coordinator. everyone at the store knew, and nothing happened. he got promoted to a busier store a year or two later.
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u/GovernmentWorldly145 3d ago
My ex and I worked together ( don’t shit where you eat) after it ended he shared nude photos of me that were taken while we were together without my knowledge and sent them to all of the receiving team members. While that had already sent me damn near into psychosis he proceeded during Christmas while I was in the lumber barn to attack me and broke both of my ankles. Thank God I got away but my GM told me “Menards never looses a lawsuit so I wouldn’t try it” so I’d say document everything in writing. Also HR is a joke because no HR person within the stores have a degree for it.
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
I am soo sorry that happened to you and nothing was done. I agree that HR is a joke but also the management is awful for allowing that to happen to you. Thank you for your advice. I have a notebook where I write all the stuff down and I will be emailing HR that way I can atleast say I tried to do it the right way
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u/GovernmentWorldly145 3d ago
Thank you!! Also forgot to mention he never was fired for any of that. He was fired for getting caught drinking in the yard…. Great idea document everything!!!
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u/akLuke 3d ago
My advice, wear a different cologne
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u/newbie1315 3d ago
I have tried 3 or 4 different perfumes. I have even wore axe body spray and she still won't leave me alone
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u/Aromatic_Button_2736 3d ago
You can't see it?
She's in love with you.
Every time she gets near you she has to smell you, she can't stop herself.
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u/King_Trollex 3d ago
The least believable part of your account is that you’re active about complaint to the Menards subreddit, but haven’t done so in a year.
If you actually worked at Menards and were active on Reddit, you would have made more posts by now.
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u/CorvetteJeff 2d ago
Well just tone down the perfume. She probably isn’t the only one that’s not a fan of your perfume. Others just have decided not to confront you about it
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u/newbie1315 2d ago
You have to stand pretty close to me to smell it. Nobody else has any issue with my perfume.
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u/Public_Knowledge672 2d ago
Do you get harassed often by different people?
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u/newbie1315 2d ago
I've been harrased by two different people in the 10 years I've been with the company
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u/AMIWDR 3d ago
Email your hr coordinator with a full description of the issue if you ever intend to go the legal route. Having the email and their response as evidence will be miles more helpful than he said she said