I was harassed by a co-worker who happened to be the wife of my boss. Comments were made about my Eastern Europe origin and my accent. I was accused of inappropriately using the printer, reading her emails and leaving the heat on even though I was not the last one to leave. In other instances, she suggested I should pay the hydro bill and will turn off the heat, leaving the doors open even though it was winter and I pointed out my fingers were cold which was affecting me. Finally, she started accusing me of stealing and telling other staff that money disappeared from her purse while she was out of the office. At this point, I spoke with my boss about the harassment – this led to me being offered money to leave quietly.
After working there for more than 2 years, I resigned as the situation seriously affected my well-being, I was very stressed, had panic attacks, insomnia, fatigue and overall was very miserable. Even though I left, I could not forget this for a few years and though about what happened very often, trying to understand what I had done wrong. The experience affected my mental health, my interactions with others and I began avoiding work situations where I had to work in an office with other women.