Hi Louise,

Firstly, weÔÇÖre so sorry to hear youÔÇÖre experiencing this. It sounds really difficult for you, especially as it seems like youÔÇÖre struggling to get the support you need. ItÔÇÖs a tricky situation considering your colleague is bipolar, but there will certainly be appropriate steps you can take to resolve this, as there is no excuse for sexual harassment.

Aside from following the procedures in place in your company and speaking to HR, which youÔÇÖve said youÔÇÖre already trying, we can only recommend that you seek some advice from an independent support organisation, such as Citizens Advice.

You can find information from them on the following page, which offers specific advice about discrimination and sexual harassment:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/what-are-the-different-types-of-discrimination/sexual-harassment

Use the contact information at the bottom of the page to contact someone, who will hopefully be able to advise you on your situation.

We really hope this helps and that you manage to resolve it.

Best of luck,
Liz

I’m new to the company, the person who did my job before me had done it for 30 years and they got on well according to him, she never made a complaint but management had at times kept an eye on him working with her as she was very vulnerable.

When I started it began with him sexually harassing me (asking for sex and other comments) I told him to stop he didn’t, I had just completed my probation period so didn’t want to have to make an issue but I went to speak to our manager who spoke to him.

After that he was following me around work, when I go out at lunchtime and kept searching me online and sending requests to be accepted on my accounts, he was also going around telling everyone I was having problems at home, and that I had issues he even said this to our deputy manager. I asked him explicitly on three occasions to stop it, our line manager spoke to him but after that he’s just been harassing me non stop.

One time he came into the room I was in alone and had a go at me, it was overheard by a deputy manager who told our manager. I had a meeting with HR and agreed to mediation (this is being arranged), his reaction to this was to tell me “this is all because you need to control your feelings towards me”.

He takes every opportunity to make some derogatory comment even when I go on my break he follows me and continues until I walk away.

He has told me he doesn’t like me and doesn’t want to work with me and has now told the manager I am bullying him.

He tells me I’ll be gone before he is as he’s been here longer and he can’t be fired because it’ll be discrimination if the company tries it.

The reason I have posted this on here is for some advice if possible as although I do not have a mental health issue my colleague is bipolar and is saying to everyone that it is why I am bullying him as I don’t understand his condition and that he cannot help his behaviour.

I have been told by HR that I can file a formal complaint if mediation doesn’t work, which I would do but don’t want to alienate myself by being the one that complained against the man with a mental health issue.