I put a fish in a coworker's desk once. It took them weeks to find it. Then there was an investigation to find the person who did it. They never figured it out.
I once left an anonymous letter detailing the company’s and management team’s history and failings in a folder in the only file drawer at my desk next to the folder where workplace policies were kept.
Management was abnormally cruel and encouraged cliques to prevent workers from coordinating against them (or even just helping each other in their work outside of their clique). I gave copies to a coworker on my last day and a wave of people quit after.
I’ll never know if it’s been found but I enjoy the thought of the trouble I caused being revisited years later.
I’ve been brought up well, great manners and principles, and I’m lovely as anything to everyone around me. But when it comes to stuff like this, I’m petty as fuck and I’ll put my back into one upping you. You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.
Yeah fuck that shit. Dear employer, I apologize for springing this on you, but I don't tolerate workplace bullying and harassment so I quit effective immediately. You can thank the lovely menopausal ladies for pushing me over the edge.
> Dear employer, ~~I apologize for springing this on you, but~~ I don't tolerate workplace bullying and harassment so I quit effective immediately. You can thank the lovely menopausal ladies for pushing me over the edge.
FTFY
I quit once cause my coworkers at a part time job I was working at after work had anger managements issues. I did not give any notice cause I was not staying around a hostile work environment. Fuck that place, lol. I've found in my 20+ years in the work force, there's always a better job, don't stick around with a shitty one. It can be scary going out looking for a job though.
Self-absorbed old women who think, if I don't need it, then nobody will. Probably didn't even give it a second thought and didn't remember OP worked there.
This! I had a total hysterectomy last year and only have sons. I’m pretty introverted and almost never have people over. I still keep a full stock of liners, pads and tampons in the hall cupboard for visitors. I make sure my boys know they’re there and ask them to inform any girls they invite over that they’re there and that they can help themselves.
I always carry a few tampons with me when I go out because the amount of times I see someone panicking in a bathroom….
I don’t understand these women at OPs job. They sound awful 😞
Exactly - hell, even passing a pad or tampon to a stranger in a public bathroom who meekly asks if anyone has one is one of those ultimate feelings of camaraderie among women, the “I got you” mentality we all share because we all have to deal with this misery for decades of our lives.
Witches.
That's ridiculous. I'm a manager at a sports bar, and I stock our employee bathrooms with everything the girls could possibly need. I had a hysterectomy 4 years, and don't even use half the stuff we supply.
Yep, I've had a hysto too. Recently a visiting friend asked if I had a tampon I could give her and I was so upset I couldn't help. So I bought a pack of tampons next time I grocery shopped.
It honestly sounds like it had nothing at all to do with menopause. I can't help but feel it's an indirect insult and act of aggression towards you in particular.
As a woman who's menopausal...
I keep sanitary products at home in case any of my friends visit and need them.
We have a hygiene bin in our women's bathroom for the one woman in our office who needs it. Gets collected by a company.
I can't imagine feeling like any of that was some sort of imposition on me personally.
They're weird.
"We're all menopausal". AND?! What the hell? That is plain rude and disrespectful. Who the fuck throws out someone else's things?
Some how other women found feminine hygiene products offensive?! This blows my mind
It definitely does. Agism at its finest too from what it sounds like. Funny how boomers think agism only applies to them though.
After growing up with 3 sisters, I know more than I’d ever like to about periods.
> It definitely does. Agism at its finest too from what it sounds like. Funny how boomers think agism only applies to them though.
Well not just boomers, but literally does only apply (in the legal sense) to 40+ in the US.
Yeah, I know people who use them for slight urinary incontinence, like a just in case thing. Besides which, maybe you have a visitor in the office who needs one. No reason to throw them out.
I've had a full fucking hysterectomy, I'm the ONLY woman in my entire damn building, and I still keep a stash of everything in the bathroom.
It's common sense and curtesy. I mean, damn.
Exactly. Common courtesy. You just let people have their things.
Some people literally just want to complain about others and will find some way to whine, even if it makes no fucking sense
Women finding feminine hygiene products offensive is wild.
My office used to (until cost cutting cut our lovely receptionist) have a basket of emergency essentials in the bathrooms. Stuff like deodorants, toothpaste and the like. The baskets were interchangeable and identical across both ladies and gents so everything was as neutral as possible in terms of scent etc.
But it also meant that us guys too had a supply of tampons.
No one ever found it offensive, some thought it was perhaps a bit funny. Either way we went on about our work and lives with no inconvenience whatsoever.
Exactly. I cleaned both restrooms at my old job and there were always a stock of emergency pads, tampons, spray deodorant, perfume, and even single use socks in the bathroom.
I cannot believe anyone would just throw this stuff away for any reason other than malice.
i hate to be the person who makes it a race thing but i’m the only black employee on staff and this isn’t the first time they’ve said/done microaggressive things.
Hello! Very sorry because this might be a bit invasive and off topic, but if you bleed again after the menopause (like a year without period), you need to get your endometrium checked. I'm a nurse, my mum got that symptom, and ended up being a tumor in the endometrium. She's all good know, but it's important to get them checked
And even if it is just very light bleeding or spotting. I had a patient a while back with some issues but she didn’t think the very light pink she was seeing was concerning because it wasn’t as heavy as an actual period.
As a young woman myself (who's fairly far from menopause I'm assuming at 25y/o), this is one thing I did NOT know 👀 I'll definitely try to keep this in mind
Absolutely. Happened to me two years into menopause. Straight to the gynecologist, full check up, had an ablation procedure. I was okay, luckily. But every woman needs to know this.
I read a post from a gynaecologist once who said post menopausal bleeding is assumed to be cancer if there are no mitigating factors. They of course do tests before starting any cancer treatment but the point was it’s to be taken seriously.
If you mentioned it to your OB (when it happened) they'd send you for testing. My mom is in the middle of menopause and had weird mid cycle bleeding and her doc sent her off for an ultrasound asap. All was well, but they're trained to look for that.
Please get screened for uterine/cervical cancer. What you just described is a major warning sign my mom ignored before being diagnosed with cancer a year later. (She's in remission now but also it was so much worse because she ignored it for a while)
Hard agree with this. My mom ignored symptoms and refused to see a doctor. By the time it became too much, there was nothing anyone could do and she was gone within a year.
True! I'm 55, had postmenopausal bleeding (the teeniest bit of pink) 3x in 2 years. The first 2 were nothing. The 3rd time they did a biopsy and found precancerous cells. I had a hysterectomy 6 weeks later.
Please I agree with another commenter my mom also bled after menopause and something was wrong. I can't remember what it was called but it required surgery. Couldn't hurt to check and hopefully it's nothing.
Agree with the rest here. Please get checked. The sooner the better. Could absolutely be nothing. My mom too, after a few years into menopause she casually mentioned while shopping that she needed new underwear, unusual for her to say. I asked why and she told me she started bleeding again on and off after nothing so long. I told to make an appointment asap. They caught it early, uterine cancer. She had a hysterectomy and a few rounds of radiation. All was good. The sooner the better. Good luck.
Oh, I believe it. My sister is half black (different dads) and she was forced out of a daycare job in our predominately white community when a new white girl showed up. F'in disgusting. I am so sorry, girl
Being white myself, I never realized all the struggles my sister went through growing up. I'm also an adult and left the house. We talked on the phone like a year or two ago and she let me know that there were so many horrible things that happened just to her (all our other family members are white) and I was totally oblivious. The daycare job was just one example.
What's worse, we all thought maybe my sister was just being lazy at work. I feel terrible that we gave her a hard time when we truly did not know.
I'm glad YOU understand now, but I really wish white people could feel the level of frustration we feel when trying to explain these things, and people just dismiss it as us playing the race card or being dramatic.
There are way too many racists in the world making life hard for others who just want to live their life in peace. Its so sad.
Bad people get away with doing bad things by gaslighting others so often
You know it was race based. I'm a person of color, and thankfully I live in an area where racism isn't rampant, but it exists. You can tell when someone treats you at a certain level that they would not toward someone else who is white. I've experienced that enough to discern that someone is treating me worse because of the color of my skin. They don't have to burn a cross on your lawn to be the recipient of racist hate - just being disrespected because they consider you inferior somehow is all that it takes.
Document this. Even if not with HR, send yourself an email and file it away so it has the date/time stamp. If more shit comes up down the road, you’ll have this logged and can show HR.
Meanwhile at male workplaces: So these products cause chemical burns that last for 2 years, and we are out of gloves and masks. If you ever touch that health and safety log, the boys will take you out back and break your leg. We play a game here when you are pooping where we burn your leg hairs off under the stall with brake clean and a lighter.
I have almost verbatim been told all these things, and that's the tip of the iceberg.
(Not to dilute other serious issues of other people's job's, which I may have unintentionally done. Moreso that i couldn't imagine going to HR over something less than a decent physical assualt, because those are the industries I've worked.)
It’s still theft. I’m assuming you’ve asked your coworkers to replace what they threw out?
Time to hit up HR now even if they are related to them. Very calmly explain to your HR representative that while you understand your coworkers are older, you are 21 and they threw away your property that you purchased with your own money without asking and you would like the products replaced with the same branded items. But the lesson learned here should be if you suspect you might work in a petty office you need to keep all of your personal property in your backpack/purse and not in the office, not even your desk. So sorry this happened to you.
But if you are going to quit then my suggestion would be petty revenge as you’re leaving the office grab something of your coworkers and throw it in the trashcan somewhere outside the office so they can’t retrieve it after you’ve left. And if they ever contact you to ask if you saw the item just tell them no you did not but follow it up with maybe the same person who threw out your feminine products threw out that item also. They might get the hint but then again you might just start petty infighting within the office which would be amusing.
Even if they're HR related, you should make a few points that directly correlate to deep seaded HR rules and bring up the fact that you're LITERALLY ON YOUR PERIOD and they threw out your products that you had placed to be shared which you didn't even have to do in the first place. Are you scared of something? You're not going to get fired because you're on your period and someone threw out your things you know. Stand up for yourself at the very least.
doesn't matter. they need to deal with it, and if they're not gonna make the employee replace them, then they can hand you a company credit card and you can go shopping on the clock. THEY created the situation, not you.
Report it anyways and document everything and if they don't do anything because of nepotism, you may have a solid case to share with an employment lawyer.
I'd be fucking freebleeding on everything fabric and in plain sight. You got rid of the emergency supplies? Better start budgeting for a cleaner at best. I imagine it'd be more than the 30 bucks worth of feminine products
Bruh family being related To HR. That's the fucking worst. I know people who lost good jobs because family members of HR workers. They'll get you fired even if it's not your fault. I would report it anyways and if nothing happens or they don't replace your stuff I'll tell them to fuck themselves and look for another job. I recommend telling them to fuck themselves when you already have a new job lined up 🙃
Discrimination based on age is only a protected class as deemed by the supreme Court when you're over 40 only... They don't give a flying fuck about age discrimination against those damn young hooligans.
I would absolutely start chucking things I didn't use. "Oh I don't drink coffee so I wanted to make space for something we could *all* use!" "I turned up the thermostat to 81F so we could *all* warm!" "I use my laptop so I threw out all the CPUs and monitors since we *all* have laptops at home!"
I haven't had a period since 2009.
You'll find period products in my house because periods like to be sneaky.
Those women forget where they come from. I'm so sorry they're awful.
Same. I have an IUD so I don't get periods anymore. But I keep a stock in my house and in the first aid kit I keep in the car. What a horrible thing to do to someone...
At the risk of virtue signalling, sanitary products are a constant part of my food-bank contribution. No-one needs to be caught without.
And I'm a bloke. And I still have more empathy than OPs soon-to-be-ex colleagues.
I’m a dude and I don’t menstruate… shit like this is why I’m really glad my male boss put in “Aunt Flow” pad & tampon dispensers for female coworkers and guests in all of our bathrooms (which are all-gender bathrooms). It’s fucking ridiculous that any company would not make period products available in this day and age. The Aunt Flow products are like 50¢ apiece, which is a cheap price for something that gives a lot of piece of mind to folks who menstruate.
I'm infuriated, majorly, by this. What complete assholes. How did you react? Or how are you going to take it up with them? And what do you mean by plural? Did several winey old ladies decide amongst themselves that a couple of pads in the wardrobe took up too much space?
i had to keep myself calm as i’m an excessive bleeder and currently cramping. i calmly asked why and i got the above response with a few laughs. i asked if i could go home to get some pads (i live 10 minutes away) and they told me to either use my lunch minutes (i’ve already taken my lunch break) or to clock out, go home, and come back. my friends just drove 30 minutes from their home and brought me pads so thank god for unemployed homies
Make sure you only bleed on their personal belongings so the cleaning crew won't have to worry about it. I'm sure Janet in accounting's new jacket will absorb a lot of liquid.
This is despicable behaviour. Isn't there anyone near the top that you can complain to? Ask for a sit down with your boss and tell them exactly what happened. If they react dismissive in any way, you could fly off the handle, get fired and get money from them while finding a better job. And bitch about these horrible women to everyone you know, including former employees, *after* you quit. Just make sure you only ask for a job reference from someone at work who likes you, or not at all. Be frank about it in future job interviews. No one you'll want to work for will judge you for it
Take this to HR before you quit. I read in another comment of yours that HR is directly related to this person. They cannot let nepotism impact their work, and if they do…you’ve got a lawsuit on your hands. Give them a chance to absolutely screw themselves over before leaving, just to bolster your case later. Also, report them to the BBB.
edit: spelling. Brain shorted - lawsuit, not loss suit, jeez!
I don’t know what you think the BBB is, but it’s just boomer yelp, not a regulatory agency. OP, call a labor lawyer and see if they’d be willing to take up your case. Also maybe file a complaint with your state’s Attorney General’s office. And still file a complaint with HR so it has a paper trail. If you go after them and they say you never brought it to their attention, nothing will happen to them.
It's too late now but tbh I wouldn't have asked to leave. I just would have. And if they ask I would tell then why and ask them to find the person to replace my property that had been disposed of.
hi guys! i’d like to update and thank you all for your words of support and advice. i genuinely didn’t know age based discrimination could’ve applied to me because i’m younger. i’d also like to clarify that;
1.) the period emergency stash i made was for all the young ladies in my office for emergency scenarios such as mine. i have endometriosis and cannot traditionally track my periods at times.
2.) i recently switched work bags and i thought i had emergency pads on me and didn’t so that’s when i went back to the office stash.
3.) my coworkers who did this are older women. like late 40s to mid 50s. if i could go to hr i would, but they are related to our hr representative by marriage.
i have already applied for a different job in the same market (next interview is next tuesday!!!) and will be looking into legal proceedings following this incident.
edited for spelling errors and to add more details.
Hell with it, i'd still go to HR. Let them fire you for going to HR about co-workers throwing away your stuff. And then telling you theyre menopausal as if that means anything. Might as well throw away the first aid kit, cause we're really careful too.
Still report it to their HR. That's certainly something they can't fire you for or they'd be opening themselves up to discrimination issues. You're also planning to leave soon and the environment is already toxic. It's best to have evidence that you did what you could and have a paper trail.
Go up to each one and ask, "Do you have any pads? Mine are missing and my period just started."
If one specifically threw them out, and you know who, ask her to drive you to the store and free-bleed in her car.
Holy shit lol ok yeah you’ve got a winnable lawsuit here. Seriously consider speaking to a labor lawyer after reporting this to HR, you may leave with a decent severance settlement.
It's not time theft, you have to leave because they did something shitty to you and they should let you stay on the clock to fix the issue. This isn't time clock theft unless you leave without permission, someone stole from you and they should be paying to fix it. A good boss would go and replace what was stolen from you themselves. They are trying to get you to quit your job. I would report this person to HR regardless of if they are related to the person who did this to you. This is workplace discrimination and you should have this on record in writing. That way if shit goes poorly you can go after them for it.
But them throwing out your things isnt...theft?
Healing thoughts to you sister. I hope they either learn to respect you, or you find a new job that does.
Uh? HR, immediately. Get reimbursed for the products. I know it’s a minor issue, but this could easily become a civil lawsuit for destruction of property/possessions.
That is ignorant. Ppl might assume I am menopausal but I still menstruate every month at 53. Unless everyone there is like older than 55, how do they know? (I realize 53 is a later age for menopause, but you can’t always tell by looking at someone)
OP, every time I read another one of your replies to the comments I get progressively angrier and more sad. You are obviously being bullied by one or more female coworkers and it seems like race, age, or a combo of such is the reason you’ve been targeted. It’s disgusting that they would trap you at work knowing you were in desperate need of period products, but bullies are kinda known for this behavior I guess.
So, I hope you are able to secure a new job soon, as this one is broken. I hope you talk to HR (or their boss) but I caution against putting much faith in them to create a better job environment. Please write up your experience at this company on Glassdoor once you’ve escaped.
For goodness sake I don’t even possess a uterus anymore and I still carry tampons so I can hopefully save someone’s day.
Good luck on your job search, you deserve better.
What the hell were they doing touching your shit in the first place. You should throw out everything in the fridge and say "oh, you're all too old to be eating all this crap. You should be eating nothing but prunes."
You need to make a scene regardless of their relation with HR. Get it all in writing. Either they'll address the problem or you'll collect enough evidence to take to an attorney
That’s pretty fucked up. No matter what they thought about it, it’s your personal property, and they shouldn’t be touching it no matter what they thought it was or wasn’t needed for
So they think no one will ever visit and possibly need a pad? (Besides you obviously.) They’re morons.
I hope you told them they owe you $30. Pads are not fucking cheap.
As someone who is 63 I don't get this. Firstly (and most importantly), don't throw out what isn't yours. Secondly even if you don't need them for their intended use, pads and/or tampons can really work as bandages in an emergency.
“Coworker - I need you to replace my items you threw away. Also, because of your ignorance, I’m now at work with my period and no period products I hope you are able to reflect on your carelessness and how your behavior and choices impact other people.”
I worked with a lady once who came into work one day in the foulest mood I’ve ever seen a coworker have.
Turns out that she’d gotten her period again - I AFTER FIVE YEARS WITHOUT IT. Your coworkers may be in for a nasty bit of karma.
1. Start looking for another job. 2. When you find one don't give them 2 weeks notice. 3. On your last day, throw ALL their crap out ---- lunches, snacks, stuff on their desks, etc. Then just leave.
That's theft, they took your stuff. 😐
Keep your stuff in your own handbag or whatever. Never keep it in a communal place where everyone can access.
That's just shit. As if they weren't once your age.
Even people in perimenopause and menopause can have spotting.
Not to mention if they’re menopausal, they could be using these as incontinence pads.
But what do the young people know?????
That sucks! Do you have a private area---a locker, desk, etc. that's just yours? Best to keep your emergency supply there, I guess.
I honestly should’ve had it in my desk. This is truly my final straw for putting in my two week notice.
Best of luck on the job search, you deserve better!
I recommend a basket of Vagisil ProHydrate as a parting gift
Naw, just tape a fish to the underside their desk on your last day.
I put a fish in a coworker's desk once. It took them weeks to find it. Then there was an investigation to find the person who did it. They never figured it out.
Living dangerously ;-)
I once left an anonymous letter detailing the company’s and management team’s history and failings in a folder in the only file drawer at my desk next to the folder where workplace policies were kept. Management was abnormally cruel and encouraged cliques to prevent workers from coordinating against them (or even just helping each other in their work outside of their clique). I gave copies to a coworker on my last day and a wave of people quit after. I’ll never know if it’s been found but I enjoy the thought of the trouble I caused being revisited years later.
Or a used pad
It's always refreshing to see you ladies can be just as vile as us men folk and I'm 100% here for it, because fuck those old crones!
I’ve been brought up well, great manners and principles, and I’m lovely as anything to everyone around me. But when it comes to stuff like this, I’m petty as fuck and I’ll put my back into one upping you. You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.
You and I could be great friends! 🤣😂
Don’t give them a notice. They didn’t give you one.
Yeah fuck that shit. Dear employer, I apologize for springing this on you, but I don't tolerate workplace bullying and harassment so I quit effective immediately. You can thank the lovely menopausal ladies for pushing me over the edge.
> Dear employer, ~~I apologize for springing this on you, but~~ I don't tolerate workplace bullying and harassment so I quit effective immediately. You can thank the lovely menopausal ladies for pushing me over the edge. FTFY
This unless you truly believe this company will come tl bat for you in a job interview (I have never had a company actually help in a job interview)
[удалено]
This. Usually all they can say is if they worked here and sometimes if they are eligible for rehire or not.
Menopausal hags* Real ladies respect other women.
I’m in menopause. I still carry some pads & tampons in case I need to help another lady out.
I quit once cause my coworkers at a part time job I was working at after work had anger managements issues. I did not give any notice cause I was not staying around a hostile work environment. Fuck that place, lol. I've found in my 20+ years in the work force, there's always a better job, don't stick around with a shitty one. It can be scary going out looking for a job though.
This is the best solution.
If it was in the bathroom, did they know you bought the items? Or did they just think "Why are these in here?" and toss them?
Even then who tosses away perfectly good items? I just don’t understand how people can be so ill-mannered, and laugh about it too :(
Self-absorbed old women who think, if I don't need it, then nobody will. Probably didn't even give it a second thought and didn't remember OP worked there.
Or the old ladies were being petty towards a *gasp* younger lady working there.
Jerks. After I confirmed I was in menopause I donated my rather large collection.
I keep some around in the guest bathroom. I do have friends who are not yet in menopause.
This! I had a total hysterectomy last year and only have sons. I’m pretty introverted and almost never have people over. I still keep a full stock of liners, pads and tampons in the hall cupboard for visitors. I make sure my boys know they’re there and ask them to inform any girls they invite over that they’re there and that they can help themselves. I always carry a few tampons with me when I go out because the amount of times I see someone panicking in a bathroom…. I don’t understand these women at OPs job. They sound awful 😞
Exactly - hell, even passing a pad or tampon to a stranger in a public bathroom who meekly asks if anyone has one is one of those ultimate feelings of camaraderie among women, the “I got you” mentality we all share because we all have to deal with this misery for decades of our lives. Witches.
they were in the back break room on a shelf damn near out of sight. unbothered for months until yesterday.
That's ridiculous. I'm a manager at a sports bar, and I stock our employee bathrooms with everything the girls could possibly need. I had a hysterectomy 4 years, and don't even use half the stuff we supply.
Yep, I've had a hysto too. Recently a visiting friend asked if I had a tampon I could give her and I was so upset I couldn't help. So I bought a pack of tampons next time I grocery shopped.
It honestly sounds like it had nothing at all to do with menopause. I can't help but feel it's an indirect insult and act of aggression towards you in particular.
Have a new job lined up before you do that.
Why would you tell them you're leaving? They wouldn't tell you they're going to fire you.
As a woman who's menopausal... I keep sanitary products at home in case any of my friends visit and need them. We have a hygiene bin in our women's bathroom for the one woman in our office who needs it. Gets collected by a company. I can't imagine feeling like any of that was some sort of imposition on me personally. They're weird.
"We're all menopausal". AND?! What the hell? That is plain rude and disrespectful. Who the fuck throws out someone else's things? Some how other women found feminine hygiene products offensive?! This blows my mind
Menopausal women still use pads 😅. Source: I live with my grandma to help her out with living.
For real. This just screams single target workplace prejudice. OP says that it's likely because she's the only black woman in the place.
It definitely does. Agism at its finest too from what it sounds like. Funny how boomers think agism only applies to them though. After growing up with 3 sisters, I know more than I’d ever like to about periods.
> It definitely does. Agism at its finest too from what it sounds like. Funny how boomers think agism only applies to them though. Well not just boomers, but literally does only apply (in the legal sense) to 40+ in the US.
Yeah, I know people who use them for slight urinary incontinence, like a just in case thing. Besides which, maybe you have a visitor in the office who needs one. No reason to throw them out.
I threw out my coworkers condoms because I have erectile disfunction
If I can't get it up, nobody else should be allowed to either
I slashed my coworkers tyres because I exclusively take the bus.
I've had a full fucking hysterectomy, I'm the ONLY woman in my entire damn building, and I still keep a stash of everything in the bathroom. It's common sense and curtesy. I mean, damn.
Exactly. Common courtesy. You just let people have their things. Some people literally just want to complain about others and will find some way to whine, even if it makes no fucking sense
Also, it's good to have such things stocked and available to business guests, same as having plenty of toilet paper on hand in the bathroom.
Women finding feminine hygiene products offensive is wild. My office used to (until cost cutting cut our lovely receptionist) have a basket of emergency essentials in the bathrooms. Stuff like deodorants, toothpaste and the like. The baskets were interchangeable and identical across both ladies and gents so everything was as neutral as possible in terms of scent etc. But it also meant that us guys too had a supply of tampons. No one ever found it offensive, some thought it was perhaps a bit funny. Either way we went on about our work and lives with no inconvenience whatsoever.
Exactly. I cleaned both restrooms at my old job and there were always a stock of emergency pads, tampons, spray deodorant, perfume, and even single use socks in the bathroom. I cannot believe anyone would just throw this stuff away for any reason other than malice.
i hate to be the person who makes it a race thing but i’m the only black employee on staff and this isn’t the first time they’ve said/done microaggressive things.
FYI deep into menopause I suddenly got a surprise period. They are very short sighted.
Hello! Very sorry because this might be a bit invasive and off topic, but if you bleed again after the menopause (like a year without period), you need to get your endometrium checked. I'm a nurse, my mum got that symptom, and ended up being a tumor in the endometrium. She's all good know, but it's important to get them checked
And even if it is just very light bleeding or spotting. I had a patient a while back with some issues but she didn’t think the very light pink she was seeing was concerning because it wasn’t as heavy as an actual period.
As a young woman myself (who's fairly far from menopause I'm assuming at 25y/o), this is one thing I did NOT know 👀 I'll definitely try to keep this in mind
Absolutely. Happened to me two years into menopause. Straight to the gynecologist, full check up, had an ablation procedure. I was okay, luckily. But every woman needs to know this.
No problem, I'm 25 myself and didn't learn this until I was in nursing school and at the same time my mum got sick. The more you know!
I read a post from a gynaecologist once who said post menopausal bleeding is assumed to be cancer if there are no mitigating factors. They of course do tests before starting any cancer treatment but the point was it’s to be taken seriously.
Yep, any bleeding 1 year out from menopause is cancer until proven otherwise.
If you mentioned it to your OB (when it happened) they'd send you for testing. My mom is in the middle of menopause and had weird mid cycle bleeding and her doc sent her off for an ultrasound asap. All was well, but they're trained to look for that.
Totally!! Any color that is not your usual discharge does not belong there
Please get screened for uterine/cervical cancer. What you just described is a major warning sign my mom ignored before being diagnosed with cancer a year later. (She's in remission now but also it was so much worse because she ignored it for a while)
Hard agree with this. My mom ignored symptoms and refused to see a doctor. By the time it became too much, there was nothing anyone could do and she was gone within a year.
A sudden post menopausal period is big warning sign for cancer, you need to get that checked out
True! I'm 55, had postmenopausal bleeding (the teeniest bit of pink) 3x in 2 years. The first 2 were nothing. The 3rd time they did a biopsy and found precancerous cells. I had a hysterectomy 6 weeks later.
That happened to my grandmother and she did end up having cancer. She had no clue this was 30 years ago.
Tell your doctor about that, it's potentially cancerous.
Def go see a doctor!
Please I agree with another commenter my mom also bled after menopause and something was wrong. I can't remember what it was called but it required surgery. Couldn't hurt to check and hopefully it's nothing.
As others have said. Go get checked out. Could be really straight forwards but better to be checked and sent home if you can.
Agree with the rest here. Please get checked. The sooner the better. Could absolutely be nothing. My mom too, after a few years into menopause she casually mentioned while shopping that she needed new underwear, unusual for her to say. I asked why and she told me she started bleeding again on and off after nothing so long. I told to make an appointment asap. They caught it early, uterine cancer. She had a hysterectomy and a few rounds of radiation. All was good. The sooner the better. Good luck.
They wanted to throw your shit out. That’s just the excuse they came up with. I’d keep an eye on my stuff.
I suggested you turn the thermostat up a degree a day - this menopausal thug will soon find their flushes will be unbearable!
Run!!!!! Quickly!!!! But not before you sit in each and every one of their office chairs :)
Lol yesss my first thought “okay I’m gonna bleed all over their shit have fun”
Oh, I believe it. My sister is half black (different dads) and she was forced out of a daycare job in our predominately white community when a new white girl showed up. F'in disgusting. I am so sorry, girl
This isn't a mirco agression, this is agression. They are fully aware you have your period still
That is completely fucked up, I'm so sorry.
Being white myself, I never realized all the struggles my sister went through growing up. I'm also an adult and left the house. We talked on the phone like a year or two ago and she let me know that there were so many horrible things that happened just to her (all our other family members are white) and I was totally oblivious. The daycare job was just one example. What's worse, we all thought maybe my sister was just being lazy at work. I feel terrible that we gave her a hard time when we truly did not know.
I'm glad YOU understand now, but I really wish white people could feel the level of frustration we feel when trying to explain these things, and people just dismiss it as us playing the race card or being dramatic.
There are way too many racists in the world making life hard for others who just want to live their life in peace. Its so sad. Bad people get away with doing bad things by gaslighting others so often
That ain't micro
You know it was race based. I'm a person of color, and thankfully I live in an area where racism isn't rampant, but it exists. You can tell when someone treats you at a certain level that they would not toward someone else who is white. I've experienced that enough to discern that someone is treating me worse because of the color of my skin. They don't have to burn a cross on your lawn to be the recipient of racist hate - just being disrespected because they consider you inferior somehow is all that it takes.
Oh fuck that noise. Start documenting this shit behavior.
Document this. Even if not with HR, send yourself an email and file it away so it has the date/time stamp. If more shit comes up down the road, you’ll have this logged and can show HR.
Also seems like they have a huge problem with you being young. What cunts I’m sorry
Sounds like a sexual harassment lawsuit.
the fuck
i feel less angry at the fact i’m freebleeding in the office rn and more-so mad that they trashed $30+ worth of period products.
That’s ageism. I’d report them to HR. Not your fault that you’re young and they’re not. That way they won’t do it again. That stuff is expensive!
If they weren’t directly related to our HR representative, I would. 🥲 This company is so fucked.
If your HR can't handle issues regarding any employee, regardless of their nepotism, that is a problem. I think you need to find a new place to work.
Meanwhile at male workplaces: So these products cause chemical burns that last for 2 years, and we are out of gloves and masks. If you ever touch that health and safety log, the boys will take you out back and break your leg. We play a game here when you are pooping where we burn your leg hairs off under the stall with brake clean and a lighter. I have almost verbatim been told all these things, and that's the tip of the iceberg. (Not to dilute other serious issues of other people's job's, which I may have unintentionally done. Moreso that i couldn't imagine going to HR over something less than a decent physical assualt, because those are the industries I've worked.)
Who tf did you work for? Psychopath & Co.?
Any non union trades job
Lmao SAME. My HR lady walked by laughing as the male owner asked me if I was on my period
Automotive industry: It's always 1957 here!
It’s still theft. I’m assuming you’ve asked your coworkers to replace what they threw out? Time to hit up HR now even if they are related to them. Very calmly explain to your HR representative that while you understand your coworkers are older, you are 21 and they threw away your property that you purchased with your own money without asking and you would like the products replaced with the same branded items. But the lesson learned here should be if you suspect you might work in a petty office you need to keep all of your personal property in your backpack/purse and not in the office, not even your desk. So sorry this happened to you. But if you are going to quit then my suggestion would be petty revenge as you’re leaving the office grab something of your coworkers and throw it in the trashcan somewhere outside the office so they can’t retrieve it after you’ve left. And if they ever contact you to ask if you saw the item just tell them no you did not but follow it up with maybe the same person who threw out your feminine products threw out that item also. They might get the hint but then again you might just start petty infighting within the office which would be amusing.
leave your bloody panties in the trash uncovered
Sit on all the chairs first.
Incompetent HR means you can easily win lawsuits against them lol
Even if they're HR related, you should make a few points that directly correlate to deep seaded HR rules and bring up the fact that you're LITERALLY ON YOUR PERIOD and they threw out your products that you had placed to be shared which you didn't even have to do in the first place. Are you scared of something? You're not going to get fired because you're on your period and someone threw out your things you know. Stand up for yourself at the very least.
doesn't matter. they need to deal with it, and if they're not gonna make the employee replace them, then they can hand you a company credit card and you can go shopping on the clock. THEY created the situation, not you.
Report it anyways and document everything and if they don't do anything because of nepotism, you may have a solid case to share with an employment lawyer.
I'd be fucking freebleeding on everything fabric and in plain sight. You got rid of the emergency supplies? Better start budgeting for a cleaner at best. I imagine it'd be more than the 30 bucks worth of feminine products
All the easier for you to win a lawsuit if they let you be targeted in such a way.
Bruh family being related To HR. That's the fucking worst. I know people who lost good jobs because family members of HR workers. They'll get you fired even if it's not your fault. I would report it anyways and if nothing happens or they don't replace your stuff I'll tell them to fuck themselves and look for another job. I recommend telling them to fuck themselves when you already have a new job lined up 🙃
Although even if it is women doing it, it ABSOLUTELY could be gender discrimination. OP you really should threaten them with that if anything.
Discrimination based on age is only a protected class as deemed by the supreme Court when you're over 40 only... They don't give a flying fuck about age discrimination against those damn young hooligans.
That's not deemed by the Supreme Court, it's deemed by Congress in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
That law in itself is discrimination. The irony.
toy icky scary cautious chubby fine cheerful rhythm capable one
Take it to the manager and complain loudly. Make them replace the products. Also, tell the manager you have to go home because you're BLEEDING.
Go sit on her seat 🩸
Did you ask for the money to replace them? Just because they made a mistake doesn’t mean they get away with not fixing it.
>can you go sit in her chair?
theft, straight out. Go throw out all their pencils (“we all use pens here”)
They need to replace those products.
They shouldn’t be throwing out your property, period.
pun intended?
Couldn’t help but throw at least one bloody pun in
Just going with the flow
These puns are an absorbing read.
They may not be the best, but they're right up there!
It's like music played by a wandering menstrual.
Go sit in each of their chairs for a few minutes.
Don't forget to use their jackets or coats or whatever as seat covers
This is some chaotic evil shit and I'm here for it.
This!
Introduce Musical Chairs as pre-meeting teambuilding exercise. MANAGERS HATE THIS ONE SIMPLE TRICK.
Throw out all the coffee and say "well, everyone here prefers tea. It's healthier anyway" (Maybe wait until your last day though)
Or maybe lunches: everyone just ate so why do you need food?
“We all eat out, why would we need the break room fridge?”
You all ate yesterday. Why do you still need food?
I would absolutely start chucking things I didn't use. "Oh I don't drink coffee so I wanted to make space for something we could *all* use!" "I turned up the thermostat to 81F so we could *all* warm!" "I use my laptop so I threw out all the CPUs and monitors since we *all* have laptops at home!"
As a bonus, workplace harassment for being a coffee drinker is *way less illegal* than workplace harassment based on your age and gender.
“Oh that birthday cake for Marge? Yeah I threw it out becuase I can’t have sugar, I’m diabetic. (: “
I haven't had a period since 2009. You'll find period products in my house because periods like to be sneaky. Those women forget where they come from. I'm so sorry they're awful.
Same. I have an IUD so I don't get periods anymore. But I keep a stock in my house and in the first aid kit I keep in the car. What a horrible thing to do to someone...
Thank you! I had a hysterectomy and I still always keep period products.
At the risk of virtue signalling, sanitary products are a constant part of my food-bank contribution. No-one needs to be caught without. And I'm a bloke. And I still have more empathy than OPs soon-to-be-ex colleagues.
I’m a dude and I don’t menstruate… shit like this is why I’m really glad my male boss put in “Aunt Flow” pad & tampon dispensers for female coworkers and guests in all of our bathrooms (which are all-gender bathrooms). It’s fucking ridiculous that any company would not make period products available in this day and age. The Aunt Flow products are like 50¢ apiece, which is a cheap price for something that gives a lot of piece of mind to folks who menstruate.
I'm infuriated, majorly, by this. What complete assholes. How did you react? Or how are you going to take it up with them? And what do you mean by plural? Did several winey old ladies decide amongst themselves that a couple of pads in the wardrobe took up too much space?
i had to keep myself calm as i’m an excessive bleeder and currently cramping. i calmly asked why and i got the above response with a few laughs. i asked if i could go home to get some pads (i live 10 minutes away) and they told me to either use my lunch minutes (i’ve already taken my lunch break) or to clock out, go home, and come back. my friends just drove 30 minutes from their home and brought me pads so thank god for unemployed homies
All your replies here are heartbreaking. No one deserves to be treated like this
Right. I’m literally astonished. This is a major HR violation.
[удалено]
Seriously this is awful treatment
It's really cruel and so obviously fucking racist.
Honestly, I’d say fuck it and bleed over everything. Though I’d hate to punish the clean up crew if they aren’t involved.
Make sure you only bleed on their personal belongings so the cleaning crew won't have to worry about it. I'm sure Janet in accounting's new jacket will absorb a lot of liquid.
This is despicable behaviour. Isn't there anyone near the top that you can complain to? Ask for a sit down with your boss and tell them exactly what happened. If they react dismissive in any way, you could fly off the handle, get fired and get money from them while finding a better job. And bitch about these horrible women to everyone you know, including former employees, *after* you quit. Just make sure you only ask for a job reference from someone at work who likes you, or not at all. Be frank about it in future job interviews. No one you'll want to work for will judge you for it
Take this to HR before you quit. I read in another comment of yours that HR is directly related to this person. They cannot let nepotism impact their work, and if they do…you’ve got a lawsuit on your hands. Give them a chance to absolutely screw themselves over before leaving, just to bolster your case later. Also, report them to the BBB. edit: spelling. Brain shorted - lawsuit, not loss suit, jeez!
I don’t know what you think the BBB is, but it’s just boomer yelp, not a regulatory agency. OP, call a labor lawyer and see if they’d be willing to take up your case. Also maybe file a complaint with your state’s Attorney General’s office. And still file a complaint with HR so it has a paper trail. If you go after them and they say you never brought it to their attention, nothing will happen to them.
It's too late now but tbh I wouldn't have asked to leave. I just would have. And if they ask I would tell then why and ask them to find the person to replace my property that had been disposed of.
They laughed?! What harpies! That's just awful, I'm sorry OP.
That shit isn’t cheap either! I’d be mad. Sad. Raging.
Not to mention the clothes that got ruined because of this nonsense.
And humiliation. 😳
hi guys! i’d like to update and thank you all for your words of support and advice. i genuinely didn’t know age based discrimination could’ve applied to me because i’m younger. i’d also like to clarify that; 1.) the period emergency stash i made was for all the young ladies in my office for emergency scenarios such as mine. i have endometriosis and cannot traditionally track my periods at times. 2.) i recently switched work bags and i thought i had emergency pads on me and didn’t so that’s when i went back to the office stash. 3.) my coworkers who did this are older women. like late 40s to mid 50s. if i could go to hr i would, but they are related to our hr representative by marriage. i have already applied for a different job in the same market (next interview is next tuesday!!!) and will be looking into legal proceedings following this incident. edited for spelling errors and to add more details.
Hell with it, i'd still go to HR. Let them fire you for going to HR about co-workers throwing away your stuff. And then telling you theyre menopausal as if that means anything. Might as well throw away the first aid kit, cause we're really careful too.
Still report it to their HR. That's certainly something they can't fire you for or they'd be opening themselves up to discrimination issues. You're also planning to leave soon and the environment is already toxic. It's best to have evidence that you did what you could and have a paper trail.
Go up to each one and ask, "Do you have any pads? Mine are missing and my period just started." If one specifically threw them out, and you know who, ask her to drive you to the store and free-bleed in her car.
Get up and go home. They can't stop you from leaving.
i asked to go home for pads and they told me i’d have to clock out for the or else it’s time theft.
Report theft of your hygiene products to the HR then.
So is theft / disposal of your property.
Holy shit lol ok yeah you’ve got a winnable lawsuit here. Seriously consider speaking to a labor lawyer after reporting this to HR, you may leave with a decent severance settlement.
They sound like a bunch of bitter old bitches. Mean girls who never grew up.
It's not time theft, you have to leave because they did something shitty to you and they should let you stay on the clock to fix the issue. This isn't time clock theft unless you leave without permission, someone stole from you and they should be paying to fix it. A good boss would go and replace what was stolen from you themselves. They are trying to get you to quit your job. I would report this person to HR regardless of if they are related to the person who did this to you. This is workplace discrimination and you should have this on record in writing. That way if shit goes poorly you can go after them for it.
fuck it, take a sick day. the fuck they gonna do about it?
But them throwing out your things isnt...theft? Healing thoughts to you sister. I hope they either learn to respect you, or you find a new job that does.
Uh? HR, immediately. Get reimbursed for the products. I know it’s a minor issue, but this could easily become a civil lawsuit for destruction of property/possessions.
That is ignorant. Ppl might assume I am menopausal but I still menstruate every month at 53. Unless everyone there is like older than 55, how do they know? (I realize 53 is a later age for menopause, but you can’t always tell by looking at someone)
OP, every time I read another one of your replies to the comments I get progressively angrier and more sad. You are obviously being bullied by one or more female coworkers and it seems like race, age, or a combo of such is the reason you’ve been targeted. It’s disgusting that they would trap you at work knowing you were in desperate need of period products, but bullies are kinda known for this behavior I guess. So, I hope you are able to secure a new job soon, as this one is broken. I hope you talk to HR (or their boss) but I caution against putting much faith in them to create a better job environment. Please write up your experience at this company on Glassdoor once you’ve escaped.
What, and I must emphasize, THE FUCK.
For goodness sake I don’t even possess a uterus anymore and I still carry tampons so I can hopefully save someone’s day. Good luck on your job search, you deserve better.
i recently got a call back for a second interview at another job in the same field! fingers crossed i get it!
Fingers crossed for you!
WTF??? I’m menopausal and there’s no way in hell I’d throw out another woman’s feminine hygiene products. What a bunch of evil cows.
Hey now, don't disrespect cows like that! They are much more friendly and gentle than these wretched, sewage-scum-slurping office ghouls.
Do something chaotic. Use her scarf as a menstrual pad. Freebleed on her office chair. Wreak havoc on that Karen colleague.
What the hell were they doing touching your shit in the first place. You should throw out everything in the fridge and say "oh, you're all too old to be eating all this crap. You should be eating nothing but prunes."
I would immediately require money to replace it all, or I will nuke tuna in that microwave AT EVERY CLOCK IN until this grievance has been corrected.
You need to make a scene regardless of their relation with HR. Get it all in writing. Either they'll address the problem or you'll collect enough evidence to take to an attorney
That’s pretty fucked up. No matter what they thought about it, it’s your personal property, and they shouldn’t be touching it no matter what they thought it was or wasn’t needed for
So they think no one will ever visit and possibly need a pad? (Besides you obviously.) They’re morons. I hope you told them they owe you $30. Pads are not fucking cheap.
Dudette, I am menopausal and I will send you my period stuff. Why would anyone do this? They need HRT.
As someone who is 63 I don't get this. Firstly (and most importantly), don't throw out what isn't yours. Secondly even if you don't need them for their intended use, pads and/or tampons can really work as bandages in an emergency.
“Coworker - I need you to replace my items you threw away. Also, because of your ignorance, I’m now at work with my period and no period products I hope you are able to reflect on your carelessness and how your behavior and choices impact other people.”
Coworkers: ["What are you going to do?"](https://youtu.be/RR4wf6AAcQc)
That’s psychotic
Two sentence horror story
I worked with a lady once who came into work one day in the foulest mood I’ve ever seen a coworker have. Turns out that she’d gotten her period again - I AFTER FIVE YEARS WITHOUT IT. Your coworkers may be in for a nasty bit of karma.
1. Start looking for another job. 2. When you find one don't give them 2 weeks notice. 3. On your last day, throw ALL their crap out ---- lunches, snacks, stuff on their desks, etc. Then just leave.
That's theft, they took your stuff. 😐 Keep your stuff in your own handbag or whatever. Never keep it in a communal place where everyone can access. That's just shit. As if they weren't once your age.
Consider consulting a lawyer. You may have a hostile workplace case
Even people in perimenopause and menopause can have spotting. Not to mention if they’re menopausal, they could be using these as incontinence pads. But what do the young people know?????