Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Shutterstock/Catalin Petolea

Opinion Inappropriate comments by customers in the workplace are not 'good craic'

You might not expect women to be subjected to inappropriate sexual comments while working as pharmacists in Ireland, but it happens fairly often, writes Laura Farrell.

“THE NEXT TIME – I swear I’ll eff the pervert out of it,” I said to my friend and colleague in the pharmacy where I work. 

But ‘the next time’ came and went and still I didn’t tell that customer to ‘eff off’. 

The incident, which happened repeatedly, went like this. 

When I handed the patient his Viagra tablets, I was met with a comment of “sure I wouldn’t need these yokes if you were my pharmacist all the time”.

That was accompanied by a wink and the whole thing made me feel sick. 

While part of me is able to laugh this off, it also makes me feels sick to my stomach. One inner voice says “ah sure he doesn’t know any better – different generation”, while another voice in my head wills me to call him out as a pervert. 

You might not expect women to be subjected to sexually inappropriate comments while working as pharmacists in Ireland but it happens fairly often. Incredibly, the comment outlined above is on the milder end of the scale. 

Of course, the majority of the public are courteous, wonderful people who enrich my workday, but this type of inappropriate comment is also surprisingly common. 

This makes me wonder if my profession is unique – or is this what a lot of Irish women experience in the workplace? 

Commonplace?

I’ve discussed this topic with female friends and colleagues and it seems that these sort of remarks are an expected, if eye-roll-inducing, part of everyday work for most women. They are seen as something to be laughed off.

It is only now after a few years working, and as my confidence in the workplace grows, that I have been struck by how absurd it is that modern women have to face this type of objectification.  

And if it is so common, then why don’t we hear much talk about it?

We do discuss how to handle inappropriate behaviour in the workplace when the person is your colleague – but what if the offending party is your client, patient or customer?

Then you are into trickier territory.

A bit of craic?

When such comments are made to me, I have no idea how to handle them.

I am so taken aback and so caught off guard that all I can do is laugh awkwardly and manoeuvre myself out of the situation as soon as possible.

I hide in the back until the offending customer leaves the premises and then I return to work.

Sometimes I feel a little shaken, sometimes consumed with fury but usually, I just feel annoyed. 

Do I report it to management? ‘Ah no, that would only be making a fuss’ I tell myself.

I’m sure this happens in lots of other countries, but I also feel there is an onus on Irish women to roll along with this type of ‘banter’. 

Irish women often feel they can’t be seen to be ‘precious’, overly feminist or ‘no craic’ in the workplace.  

They need to be seen to be able to handle themselves and take ‘the craic’ as much as any man.

But this means that the comments are made again and again without retaliation and so our response could even be seen as contributing to the behaviour continuing? 

So what is the appropriate level of reaction?

An appropriate reaction

Should colleges and employers train their staff on how to handle inappropriate comments made by clients, patients or customers in a manner that is fitting?  

What I am currently doing, which is awkwardly laughing off such situations and maybe making a joke out of it with friends in the pub on a Saturday night, is a definite inappropriate, under reaction.

But on the flip side, telling someone to ‘eff off’ or calling them a pervert (which I like to do in my head) might be an inappropriate, overreaction.

The solution must lie somewhere in-between. 

Of course, it would be great if employers and educators developed best practice for responding to such incidents, but in the meantime, I think each of us should take responsibility for teaching people how to treat women in the workplace – and in life. 

So next time it happens, I will steady myself and simply request the customer refrains from making such comments in future, it can’t be too hard right?

Watch this space…

Laura Farrell is a pharmacist and freelance writer living in Dublin.  

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

View 70 comments
Close
70 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nigel Garvey
    Favourite Nigel Garvey
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:03 PM

    After Erdogan’s recent rhetoric (night before) I wonder did he truly act alone ? ….

    150
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chris Maynard
    Favourite Chris Maynard
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:42 PM

    after trump’s recent rhetoric, i wonder did the nz truly act alone ? ….
    after fraser anning’s recent rhetoric, i wonder did he truly act alone? …

    see how ridiculous this sounds? hate knows no religion. only hate. we, collectively as a society, have to decide to stop pitting one side against the other if we truly want to tackle terrorism on both sides.

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Murphy
    Favourite Sean Murphy
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 11:23 PM

    @Nigel Garvey: I couldn’t believe what he done. To show the video from inside the mosque on a large screen to an audience was reckless. To then say Aussies will go home in caskets like their grandads in WW1 is an incitement to violence. I’m surprised the international media didnt make more of it. Could you imagine of Trump had done that?

    106
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Candace
    Favourite Candace
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 1:22 AM

    Any news on the tens of Christians butchered last week in Nigeria or dies New Zealand take priority?

    109
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ciaran111
    Favourite ciaran111
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 12:58 AM

    And people wonder why islamofascism is on the raise ?2 attacks in 3 days .Nigeria also.

    75
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ger Murphy
    Favourite Ger Murphy
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 7:17 AM

    @ciaran111: I can’t wait until they get into the EU. I’d happily pay their doles so I can worry about my kids commuting into town every day…

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Maurice Dodd
    Favourite Maurice Dodd
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:49 PM

    Two billion backers

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute baron floyd
    Favourite baron floyd
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 10:28 PM

    Why, the vast majority of media in the world is refusing to print either the names or pictures of these rotten ba@$##ds, does the Journal repeatedly do so??

    63
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute alan doyle
    Favourite alan doyle
    Report
    Mar 22nd 2019, 11:50 PM

    Not sure this lad is playing from a full deck of cards. Just by the look of him.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Philip Siggins
    Favourite Philip Siggins
    Report
    Mar 23rd 2019, 11:17 PM

    Since 9/11 tens of thousands worldwide murdered, butchered, beheaded, stabbed, burned alive, raped, thrown of building, stoned, all in the name of Islam and one backlash in New Zealand is anyone surprised ? Just imagine if the shoe were on the other foot and Muslims had been targeted by right wing extremists for the past 20 years what would the likely outcome be ?

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds