work issue

[shyjane]

if a guy calls a woman sweetheart at work is it wrong?

[boxtops]

Depends how you feel about it, and how it's said. It offends some in some circumstances, and not others.

[VHG]

It is a bit condesending. And I am not sure it is appropriate in the workplace.

If you work in a bank and the manager is a woman it certainly is not appropriate :-)

A lady on the supermarket checkout kept calling the person in front of me "darlin".

When she served me and said "have you got your own bags darlin" I soon told her that was enough of the "darlin".

[boxtops]

VHG I couldn't agree more - I hate it when complete strangers call me darling, or pet, or anything like that.

[Booldawg]

doesnt bother me. thats just how some people speak. cant see how its condescending other than we get told its condescending so it must be!

[magsmay]

shyjane - yes very very wrong I would go to your manager and complain about serious sexual harrassment <sigh>

[vodkancoke]

Lol @ magsmay!

It doesn't bother me in the slightest.

[phleb]

Not really.

[China Doll]

I find it irritating when patients call me it but not irritating enough to tell them to stop. If my divisional manager (male) started calling me sweetheart I would ask him to stop... but I'm sure he never would.

[VHG]

>>>cant see how its condescending

Suppose you have a male sales person, and a young female secretary.

And the sales person wants something typing up and says "can you type this up for me sweetheart" that is when it is a bit condesending.

[bednobs]

lol at magsmay. It moght just be better to say to the person "please don't call me that again because i don't like it" rather than complain of sexula harrassment

[Just-Jude]

It's definitely sexual harassment and also condescending, not sure which is worse. You need to tell him to stop and mean it. If you let him get away with this, his next move will be to start calling you "babe" and we all know what that means. Personally, I'd go straight to HR and lodge an official complaint. You should read your company's policy on bullying and harassment, just don't let him get away with it.

[237SJ]

It`s only wrong if the person being called "Sweetheart" thinks it is. Apart from that, it`s nobody else`s business.

[factor-fiction]

When I lived in the Potteries for a while I was called 'duck' all the time. When I worked in Preston, Lancs I was called 'Love', even by the men. It was just accepted a s a regional term
I get called 'babes' by quite a few people on here and I've managed to live with it.
But in the work context a term such as 'sweetheart' can sound condescending and should be avoided , although it may just be okay if it's common regional parlance that's accepted generally by all employees.