Here’s a workplace harassment story that’s worthy of a discussion. On Reddit, a guy who works as a programmer in an office is wondering if he’s the a-hole…just because he ate a banana. He says his office has around 20 people, and the newest is a young woman who was brought in after one of the older workers retired. Every once and a while, the guy says he’ll enjoy a banana at his desk while at work. That banana ended up causing a world of problems.
In his mind, the guy just ate the banana and threw the peel in the trash when he was done. Apparently, the girl saw it a whole other way. Shortly after his meal, he was “hauled into HR” and told that he’d been accused of “making aggressive and unwanted sexual advances” towards the girl. Thinking back, he’d only left his desk twice during the day in question, and never had any contact with her. It turns out, she’d told HR that he was “making suggestive gestures and inappropriately eating the banana in her direction.”
From there, it was suggested that he “write a letter of apology and refrain from bringing bananas into work.” In addition, he was told to “consider the potential hostile work environment he’s creating if he brings bananas into work.” Having “done nothing wrong,” he “left the meeting,” and asked around the office if his banana eating had offended anyone else.
Source: Reddit AITA