My area manager made fun of me at work, questioned my masculinity, and kept tugging at my hand. What should I do?
I (M 21) work in retail as a seasonal sales associate in a local brand called Str4ightF0rward in Glorietta, and I honestly don't know what to do about what happened to me today. Bago lang po ako and pang 4th day ko palang.
I've been working long shifts, around 9 hours a day nakatayo and bawal umupo, with a 4-hour daily commute since from Marikina pa ako. I'm trying my best to be an honest and hardworking employee, even though the job can be exhausting.
Today, my area manager said “lalaki ka ba?” to me and also made the remark “parang pumipitik ka kasi eh" while taking my biometrics. As someone na LGBTQ, I have been through those kinds of situations and have been asked for what I felt na several times na in my life. I felt like he was making fun of me and deliberately humiliating me while he was getting my biometrics para sa pag in and out namin sa work kasi he kept tugging at my hand agressively during the process, which made me even more uncomfortable and literal tumitingin na yung coworkers ko. Literal na jinojoke pa nila if straight ba daw ako or forward? like wtf? sinabayan pa talaga nila yung area manager. Inisip ko ganto ba trato sa mga sales associates, mga sales men and ladies?
I eventually walked away because I was so upset literal nag walk out ako. I was literally shaking afterward. I don't think I've ever felt that humiliated at work before. Nagkaroon naman ako ng previous jobs sa bpo pero never ako ginanon. Parang maiiyak ako sa train.
What bothers me most is that he's an area manager. He's in a position of authority, and I feel like he's using that position to make me feel small. I went to work to do my job, not to be mocked over my mannerisms or have someone handle me like that.
I'm also worried about the consequences of walking away. I need this job and the money. Actually I just took this job kasi gusto ko sana mag enroll sa review center sa embalming, gusto ko talaga maging embalmer, pero 4th year ako currently sa mapua bilang bsit. At the same time, I don't want to pretend nothing happened or let someone treat me this way. Pero after nun umalis na ako sa mga company gc namin and blinock ko na rin yung AM since chinat pa ako sa viber if bakit daw ako nagwalk out.
I would really appreciate honest advice from people who have been in a similar situation. I'm still shaken up by what happened, and I genuinely don't know what my next move should be.