(Please Don’t) Whistle While You Work
As a female construction lead, I don’t always get the same respect as my male counterparts.
I was on a video call with my supervisor when an employee — let’s call him Bob — came in. He greeted my supervisor but not me. Okay, that was fine. Then, he sat down two seats away, opened his computer, and started typing. There were about a dozen seats in the job trailer, and I was seated at the very end, so he could have sat further away, but he didn’t.
That was also fine… until he started whistling. [Supervisor] gave me a questioning look and gestured toward Bob.
Me: *Politely* “Hey, Bob, do you mind not whistling while I’m on a call? Or maybe moving down to the other end?”
Bob: “I’m not bothering you.”
Me: “It’s just a little distracting while—”
Bob: “Are you bothered, [Supervisor]?”
Supervisor: “Kind of, yeah. Can you work somewhere else or just… not whistle?”
Bob: “Sure, Boss.”
He got up and left.
Later in the day, Bob returned to the office. I was, again, on a video call with the same supervisor, as well as several higher-up individuals within the company and the customer we were contracted with.
Bob: “You know, I think you were pretty disrespectful to me today.”
Me: “Okay, we can discuss that when—”
Bob: “No, you need to hear this now. I don’t know why you have your job because, frankly, you’re not good at it.”
Me: “Bob—”
Bob: “Probably earned it on your knees.”
Me: *Firmly* “Bob, that is enough.”
Bob: “And you’re f****** rude! The way you spoke to me earlier was just not professional.”
Me: “I wasn’t disrespectful or rude. You came in, saw that I was on a video call with [Supervisor], and started whistling.”
Bob: “You said…” *in a mocking tone* “…‘Bob, stop whistling,’ like I was being obnoxious.”
Me: “I asked you politely to stop whistling, but you didn’t until [Supervisor] stepped in.”
Bob: “And now you’re gaslighting me?! I should call [Supervisor] and tell him what a f****** b**** you are. A blind and deaf monkey would be a better manager than you.”
I turned my computer around so he could see the video call. The color drained from his face.
Supervisor: “No need, Bob. I’ll call you when I’m done here.”
Head Of Company: “I’ll join that call.”
Bob walked out again.
[Supervisor] later informed me that Bob tried to say he was only joking and I shouldn’t be so upset. [Customer] said he did not want his company associating with Bob or anyone like him, so he requested Bob be moved to another project. Bob decided to quit, instead.
This story is part of our Highest-Voted-Stories-Of-2024 (Non-Customer Stories) roundup!
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