Should I quit?

[RuedeRivoli]

I am currently interning at this fashion house. We're only two interns. Things have been going pretty badly since day one. We work with some guy who happen to be the biggest douche ever. He's a sales associate but we are not interning in his department. We're interning in he design department. He just happens to work there sometimes (like cleaning stuff and all) but we have no affiliation with him.

 

I tend not to trust people when I first meet them. Hence, I just do my work but I don't engage in "personal" conversations with 'coworkers' because I genuinely believe that anything you say can be used against you at some point. Hence, I'm not talkative at work. I just do whatever they tell me do so and stay quiet. After all, I'm just an intern and anything I saw can be twisted.

 

Anyway, this man I'm working with has been attacking me since day one. I didn't trust him when I first saw him so I remained very silent and would only communicate with him about work, unlike the other intern who literally shared her life story with him. He saw I wasn't very communicative so he's now taking advantage of this saying stuff like:

 

- "You never speak, hence, people can do whatever they want to you, you're very submissive. I'm sure mommy and daddy still buy your clothes".

- "What did you do last night? Wait, did you watch Dora?"

- "I think you should go back to working for mommy and daddy and use their black card whenever you want. I don't understand why you're interning here when you have the opportunity to make cash easily".

- "You're not exactly attractive. You look like an 18 year old unlike the other intern who is very sexy"

 

Mind you, the guy is 37 and has three kids!

 

He encouraged me to quit my internship because I have no chances of ever making it whereas he apparently encouraged the other intern to apply for a full time position when the internship is over (I wasn't there).

 

Because a lot of people in this company speak Italian and I don't, he started saying things right in front of me in Italian with the store's manager, and the store's manager was like "I hope you don't speak Italian!".

 

I work in this menswear company which happens to be full of men. I'm only 5'2, the other intern is like 5'6, so I feel as though they don't take me seriously. I mean c'mon, just because I don't engage in personal conversations and keep quiet, doesn't mean I'm submissive. I just don't wanna talk to someone who conveyed a bad vibe from day one. I'm tired of going to work everyday to undergo such a bad treatment. He even started criticizing me in front of the boss. I'm just an intern, he's a sales rep. I don't get what's the deal. I'm not even working in the sales department, but he happens to work in our design department sometimes.

 

Should I quit? It's a three months internship, and this is just week one!

[pl3asehelp]

No, don't quit. Go to HR and complain. Totally ignore him.

[mhowe]

Agree...write down exactly what be has said to you, as well as what the manager said and go to HR. He is creating a hostile work environment.

[RuedeRivoli]

There's no HR department unfortunately. The boss and his assistant are in charge of recruiting/firing people. The assistant is gossiping too, trust me.

[pl3asehelp]

Sadly, I'm like 99% sure the sexual harrasment laws don't protect interns because they aren't paid, but any good HR dept would still not allow any kind of harrasment on their property. NY district just ruled so against an intern at Syracuse.

[mhowe]

There's no HR department unfortunately. The boss and his assistant are in charge of recruiting/firing people. The assistant is gossiping too, trust me.

what about speaking to the manager who listened to him speak in Italian about you?

[pl3asehelp]

There's no HR department unfortunately. The boss and his assistant are in charge of recruiting/firing people. The assistant is gossiping too, trust me.

 

 

Go right to the boss then.

[RuedeRivoli]

The manager was actually the person this sales guy was talking to in Italian. The manager is the one who said "I hope you don't speak Italian" after the said a few things in Italian right in front of me.

[RedDress]

Yes - go to the boss. Don't worry. I'm sure they know this guy is like this. You are probably not the first person he has done this to. You really need to let them know that his comments have gotten WAY out of line and are now into harassment territory.

[blueidealist24]

I agree with everyone else. If this is an unpaid internship and they don't do anything about it I would consider quitting then. Is it unpaid?

[annie24]

Did you ever tell that guy to knock it off? It's worth sometimes trying to settle things first before going to the boss.

[Natasha24]

Go to the manager or whoever is above him. Tell them you are uncomfortable and you deserve a safe working environment.

If they don't do anything and/or the guy gets worse, quit.

 

Does anyone know if legal action is appropriate here? This sounds like blatant harassment to me. I have no doubt he has done it to girls before you and he will do it to girls after you.

[ParisPaulette]

Good then you go to the manager and you talk to him. And you quietly tell him, "Look the guy's gone from bullying me to now badmouthing me in front of you and yes I know he did, because of what you said." Explain yourself and ask the manager if there's any other openings for interns where they appreciate hard work and don't personally attack the interns. Also when the guy badmouths you to your face why didn't you tell him to shut his mouth and go take his miserable home life elsewhere. Bullies look for the kid who won't fight back and won't put them in their place and that goes for the workplace as well. Let him have it verbally AFTER you complain to the manager about his words. And document it. Then let the words fly, staying silent won't help you in these situations.

 

And if this is an upaid internship and you can get another one somewhere else I say go for it. This one sounds like it won't get you anywhere anyways.

[blueidealist24]

 

And if this is an upaid internship and you can get another one somewhere else I say go for it. This one sounds like it won't get you anywhere anyways.

 

Yeah, would you even want a full-time job working there with that guy even if they offered you one? Plus correct me if I'm wrong, but it's menswear and you're female? Best to try to find another one.