Defending My Dignity: Confronting Workplace Harassment Head-On

In the present, at 28 years old, I’m working in an office and have made significant progress since my mastectomy. Jill learned about my breast augmentation when she overheard a conversation about holiday plans. By the end of the day, the entire office knew about it, though not the reasons, and several colleagues confirmed Jill spread the news.

Over the following months, Jill continuously made “jokes” and comments about my chest whenever I was within earshot. She once remarked that I had “more plastic than Barbie” and called me “fake in two ways.” Although I didn’t directly hear it myself, a friend in the office informed me that Jill had even referred to me as a “sack of silicone.”

I repeatedly asked Jill to stop making comments about my chest, but unfortunately, I mostly confronted her in places like the elevator and the women’s bathroom where there were no cameras. Despite my requests, Jill continued making remarks, ignoring my pleas. While it wasn’t a daily occurrence, I endured at least three comments per week for three months.