“This borders on harassment”: Deli worker posts beach photos, then gets scolded by her boss
A college student was stunned when her boss texted her about swimsuit photos she posted on Instagram.
The Reddit post was shared by a now-deleted account on r/AmIOverreacting, where the 21-year-old described her shock after receiving an unsolicited message from her older male boss. She explained that she works two jobs, including one part-time at a local deli near her college campus. Although she believed she had a positive relationship with her employer, that changed after a recent trip to the beach.
Her boss found her bikini photos, and made it weird
She had posted several pictures from the day online. In the photos, taken by her younger sister, she wore a bikini. The images were, in her words, "tasteful." But the next day, she received a text from her deli boss commenting on them.
"I didn’t even know he had Instagram," she wrote, adding that her account is public, though it contains no direct reference to the deli or her university.
She noted that her Instagram handle includes her first name, but not her last. Her profile doesn’t list her school or job. "There’s zero connection to the deli at all," she emphasized. Despite that, her boss found the photos and felt compelled to comment.
OP shared a screenshot that showed the boss referencing the beach pictures directly. This made her feel uncomfortable, especially since he had clearly gone out of his way to find her social media account.
Her discomfort grew when she realized he didn’t even follow her, but must have searched for her profile independently. Because the post wasn’t linked to her job in any way, she questioned whether his message crossed a boundary.
She turned to her friends for advice. However, some of them, also young women, said she might be overreacting and told her not to worry about it.
The internet says: no, you’re not crazy...it’s creepy
Redditors overwhelmingly supported the college student. Many called the boss’s actions inappropriate and borderline creepy. Some users advised her to document the message in case of future issues.
One top-voted comment from u/SheWasUnderwhelmed read, "This borders on sexual harassment." They went on to add that she needed to send a follow-up email outlining everything that happened in the meeting so there was written proof, if needed. "This borders on, if not completely exists as sexual harassment. No matter how good you think your relationship is with this man, he’s crossed a line with you and potentially other employees in the past. If you are terminated or he threatens any aspect of your job you need to seek assistance."
Others agreed, pointing out that his unsolicited interest in her personal life was invasive, especially given the age and workplace differences.
"Ah yes, the horror of a woman existing in a bikini on her own time. How will the business ever recover?" u/Late_Cupcake750 sassed. "Unless your job involves representing the company publicly or there’s a signed social media policy, your boss is just being weirdly controlling. Sounds like they’re more concerned with policing bodies than running a business."
Above all else, Redditors agreed that OP was not overreacting and her boss needed a reality check.
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