Episode 77: Don't Call Me Sweetie
/“At the end of the conversation he says, ‘OK my dear,’ and hangs up...and I was stunned.”
“It’s not like every sexual harassing person is a lovely guy at the core, but addressing it in a non-inflammatory way is your best way out.”
Photo by Marina Bartel/Hemera / Getty Images
This is the first of two shows on unwanted male-to-female attention at work, from terms of endearment to full-on predatory behavior. My guests are journalist Ibby Caputo and business owners and workplace relationship experts Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley.
This show was inspired by one of my listeners. She asked how women in their mid-twenties like her were supposed to build professional reputations when male colleagues, vendors, and clients kept calling them 'sweetie' and 'honey'. How could she discourage these men while maintaining workplace relationships? In this show, we discuss some of the benefits and risks of speaking up about disrespectful behavior.
You can also read a transcript of the show.