How do I talk to a shady coworker?

[Anonymous]

Okay so he’s really my boss but I noticed he can be a little shady sometimes. Even after he’s shady he still tends to smile in my face and wave excitedly but also if I told speak back to him he won’t go away unless I speak to him. I never gave him any signal to make him think we are close or that friendly with each other. He’s more closer to the coworkers he’s shady with but still speaks to me, I speak back most of the time but he tries to hold an entire conversation with me but I have no desire to speak to him.

[Oliverlogan263]

Girl, that is such a tricky situation to be in! Having a shady boss can really stress you out. A few things I would do:

- Keep things short and professional when you do talk to him. One word answers if you can get away with it.

- Make sure you're never alone with him - always be around other coworkers if possible.

- If he tries to hold a one-on-one convo, politely say you have other stuff to work on. Don't get cornered!

- Document any incidents you feel uncomfortable about, just in case you ever need proof of inappropriate behavior. But don't explicitly accuse him of anything yet.

- Try telling one of the chill coworkers how you feel in private, in case you ever need a witness or someone in your corner.

- Avoid smiling too much or acting overly friendly back so he doesn't think you're encouraging more personal convos. Stay business casually polite at most.

If he persists being a creep, you may have to be more direct saying you need to focus on your work. But tread carefully since he's the boss. Hopefully he gets the hint to cut it out before you have to take it further! Let me know if things escalate girl.

[Danny_dan92]

1st option. Politely and respectfully bring up your concerns.




If that doesn’t work. Do it again.




I recommend trying to ask permission to record conversation or have conversations via email.






If after all this it continues, present a case to HR but keep in mind. HR will only take your case seriously if you happen to have evidence to back your claim. Otherwise they’ll label you a complainer