SINGAPORE: A 22-year-old woman took her work struggles with an employer making unwanted intimate advances to an online forum on Friday (Jan 10). She turned to Singaporeans for advice on how to handle the matter.

The woman shared that throughout her time working for a family business for a little over a year, there have been “many structural changes.”

“One of the individuals, a man likely over 50, has a reputation for subtly hitting on women in the company,” she claimed. “His behaviour is difficult to call out because of how discreet he is. About halfway through my stint here, he became the person my team reports to.

Considering the challenging job market, I’ve tried to brush off his odd comments.”

Crossing the line

However, on Thursday (Jan 9), she “felt like a line was crossed.” She claimed that the man noticed her eyelash extensions and commented on her “effort” to put on makeup despite her not wearing any.

“I thought that was the end of it, but later, he looked at me again and said, ‘Wah, you really look good today. If I were younger, I’d grab you, chain you, lock you in the house.'”

She shared that the startling comment left her speechless. “I was taken aback and didn’t know how to respond, so I stayed silent,” she wrote. “Shortly after, someone we both know walked by, and he asked that person if I looked pretty.

The person then responded by saying his remarks were harassment and inappropriate. His reaction? ‘She likes it.'”

The harassed woman added, “At that moment, I was too shocked to process everything. It didn’t hit me until I returned to my desk; the incident has bothered me ever since. I feel like I should have said or done something but didn’t.

A part of me wonders if it’s partially my fault for giving off the wrong vibe (even though I know this isn’t how it works). For context, he has a wife and fully grown kids. I feel so foolish for not recording his comments as evidence. Should I bother reporting him?

Unfortunately, reporting to HR seems futile given the company’s dynamics.”

Singaporeans rally behind the woman

Many online users backed the woman up, taking to the post’s comments section to share encouragement messages. Others blatantly called out such behaviour, while others shared advice. Many also suggested leaving her job to find a new one or rep...