Do I report this to HR?
So I’m training to be a customer support desk agent for a big medical laboratory. In my training class there is one woman in her late twenties, one woman in her late forties, one woman in her early sixties, a man in his early thirties, and then me (I’m 23).
To preface, I have grown up with my mom as a corporate exec and I know full well not to over share at work. I know pretty well for someone who hasn’t had much experience in an office which boundaries to cross and which not to. I stay pretty quiet at work and while I can be VERY talkative in personal settings, I only say the least amount necessary when on the job.
Also to preface, I am a two time major sexual assault survivor. One really terrible boyfriend in high school and one kidnapping incident when I was 17.
Anyways, the woman in her late forties was blabbing on about her boss at her other job and his crazy wife. The woman in her late twenties started saying that the “Me Too” movement has created a society in which “men are guilty until proven innocent”. It then began a very uncomfortable conversation in the training room (the trainer was gone for five seconds before this started) where things were said along the lines of “did you see the reporter who was ‘assaulted’ on camera, her face was so funny” and “if someone was REALLY a survivor, they wouldn’t broadcast it” and just a slew of very hurtful and in appropriate things to say.
I wasn’t going to listen to it anymore because I didn’t want to create an issue that ruined my professional reputation, so I walked out. As I was leaving they asked where I was going. I calmly said “I don’t appreciate the things being said so I’m going to wait outside until it stops.”
I was on the verge of tears but was doing so good at holding them in. The man in my training group came out and asked if I was OK. We had a pleasant conversation where he said he supported my decision and if I was OK with it, he’d like to sit with me so I didn’t have to just be by myself.
So...... do I report this? Aside from it being hurtful to me personally, it’s entirely inappropriate to talk about at work and I feel like they at least need to be told to be careful about things like this. I don’t want to get them in trouble but I also don’t want to forget about it and let someone else get hurt.
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