I know it's probably come about as part of the "omg you looked at me funny SUE SUE SUE!" culture that has started getting out of hand in recent years, but I'll stand by anyone who says that unwanted behaviour of this fashion in ANY form is sexual harassment. Just because it's not as overt as other forms of harassment doesn't mean it should just be laughed off and ignored. While it could just be an "aw, printer man fancies Rachel!" smittenness, she wasn't very descriptive, and he could easily have been emitting waves of "ewwwww" or rubbing his thighs or whatever.
I don't know; perhaps you'll consider me an over-reactive sort because of my reply below as well, but it's best to nip these things in the bud. If he's just being friendly today and no one tries to stop him because they don't want to be seen to be over-reacting, there's a chance he'll get "friendlier" and "friendlier" and the recipients of his attentions will feel worse and worse. Head it off at the pass, and there's no way it'll get out of control. Just ignore it, and there's a possibility it may.
Thanks for all the supportive comments! He did seem a very nice guy - which I stressed to the accounts manager - and wasn't sleazy or rubbing his thighs, probably was just smitten as Rob says. But then, when working and representing a company you should not be saying these sort of things to clients. An admiring look may not be intentional but to repeat that sort of thing in words is not professional. I wouldn't dream of giving a visiting client a saucy wink or an inappropriate comment (maybe a casual "oh I love your shoes/suit" if they're friendly and chatty). I found it more uncomfortable and awkward then outright offensive. Not to be defensive, but to paint a clearer picture I work at the reception alone which is quite isolated from the rest of the office (a corner of meeting rooms and corridor inbetween), so when he said these things at reception and in the corridor when no-one was about which is pretty intimidating.
I don't know; perhaps you'll consider me an over-reactive sort because of my reply below as well, but it's best to nip these things in the bud. If he's just being friendly today and no one tries to stop him because they don't want to be seen to be over-reacting, there's a chance he'll get "friendlier" and "friendlier" and the recipients of his attentions will feel worse and worse. Head it off at the pass, and there's no way it'll get out of control. Just ignore it, and there's a possibility it may.
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He did seem a very nice guy - which I stressed to the accounts manager - and wasn't sleazy or rubbing his thighs, probably was just smitten as Rob says.
But then, when working and representing a company you should not be saying these sort of things to clients. An admiring look may not be intentional but to repeat that sort of thing in words is not professional. I wouldn't dream of giving a visiting client a saucy wink or an inappropriate comment (maybe a casual "oh I love your shoes/suit" if they're friendly and chatty). I found it more uncomfortable and awkward then outright offensive.
Not to be defensive, but to paint a clearer picture I work at the reception alone which is quite isolated from the rest of the office (a corner of meeting rooms and corridor inbetween), so when he said these things at reception and in the corridor when no-one was about which is pretty intimidating.
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