Harry Styles once sang that we should all treat people with kindness. And while this statement seems like common sense to some, for others, it's a foreign concept. They can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that you should act with others the way you want them to act when it comes to you.
In today's story, one woman learned this lesson for sure. Okay, we don't know if she really did, but we hope so. You see, her harsh words towards her coworker, whom she didn't know that much about, came back to bite her back, and everyone around couldn't have been happier about it - that's how offensive she was.
More info: Reddit
While for some being kind to others seems like a common idea, others seemingly can't grasp it
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Like this woman from today's story, who just couldn't keep her mouth shut when it came to her coworker's appearance
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One day, she picked a new victim - a coworker, who had breast implants because of the double mastectomy she had to go through
Image credits: fabrikasimf / Freepik (not the actual photo)
From time to time, she kept implying that the coworker was shallow for getting her breasts done
Image credits: kremen / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Granted, she didn't know about the real reason why she got those implants, but that does not make her any less of a bully
Image credits: mindandi / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When the woman got called out, she reported the coworker to HR for "hostile work environment"
Image credits: tsyhun / Freepik (not the actual photo)
But the coworker wasn't going down without a fight - she collected evidence of the woman's misdemeanors and made a report to HR herself
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The receipts included the witness reports of the calling-out incident and other stories of the woman making inappropriate comments about someone's looks
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The case was presented so strongly that HR had no other choice but to hold a proper investigation
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
They interviewed a bunch of employees, including the perpetrator and her victim
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
What the investigation showed was that the woman was indeed guilty of inappropriate and constant comments
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
And so, the company had to say goodbye to the woman, making the whole office sigh in relief
Image credits: anonymous
The coworker was happy about herself for dealing with her bully in a professional manner by going through proper channels instead of causing needless drama
A while ago, the OP had some tests done and found out that she has some potentially cancerous cells in her breast tissue. So, to remove the risk of getting the disease, she got a double mastectomy.
After that, she hated her appearance so much that it started negatively affecting her mental health. So, she got breast implants to hide surgery scars, which made her comfortable in her skin again.
Then, one day, she was having lunch with her work friend, and they mentioned the surgery she had. One of the coworkers, Jill, overheard it, and from that point on, she started throwing jokes about it, without knowing the cancer context. The OP asked her to stop more than once, but she never listened.
So, the pile of these jokes kept growing, and it was bound to overspill at some point. And it did during one lunch, when Jill once again implied that the author is “shallow” because she got chest implants. The original poster lost it and told her everything.
Later that day, she got a notification from HR that someone reported her for a “hostile work environment.” The HR person was Debbie, Jill’s friend, so it was clear who the reportee was. But the woman wasn’t about to go down easily.
She collected evidence from the colleagues, who witnessed the incident, asked for an “impartial overseer”, and filed another report herself with an addition of other comments she made about other coworkers’ appearances.
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
HR ended up conducting an investigation with interviews of various employees, including the OP and Jill. And so, it resulted in Jill getting fired and the original poster winning. Well, knowing what a strong case she had, it would have been surprising to learn that it ended any other way.
After all, it seems common sense not comment on someone’s appearance, especially in the workplace. Granted, some exceptions might apply if the attire violates the dress code or the job is focused on appearances, like something in the fashion industry.
And even then, one must be careful with their comments. Overall, it’s simply best to steer clear of mentioning someone’s clothing choices, physical attributes, body language, or anything like that.
But apparently not everyone has this common sense. And that everyone includes Jill in this scenario. As the OP’s receipts proved, she likes to make a lot of insensitive comments about how her coworkers look, lacking genuine empathy, and thinking she was untouchable.
And so, when she touched the nerve of a woman with a double mastectomy, she took it too far. When it comes down to it, cancer tends to affect people’s self-image a lot. It comes down to the fact that the treatment of this disease is very harsh on one’s body. It can cause hair loss, change their weight, leave surgical scars, and generally lead to heightened self-consciousness and feelings of insecurity.
Of course, in the case of the OP, she didn’t have cancer; she had a procedure to prevent it, but her self-image took a big hit, and that’s why Jill’s comments hurt so much. So, netizens weren’t really sad that she lost her job. In fact, most of them were happy she was forced to face the consequences of her actions.
Do you think similarly to netizens, or do you think HR was too harsh to the coworker? Please, share in the comments!
Netizens were happy too - everyone loves a story where a villain gets what she deserved
