Photo: Jacob Lund / Shutterstock; Reddit via Canva Pro
He was given the gift in front of 3rd to 5th graders.
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Jun 04, 2023
In the “r/antiwork” forum on Reddit, a man penned a post debating whether or not he should report his coworkers for the highly inappropriate gift they got him.
As the only man in the workplace, it was easy enough for him to feel like an outcast, but after receiving the gift they gave him, he feels as though he may have no other choice but to report them.
His coworkers gave him an inappropriate gift book that was titled ‘How To Live With A Small Penis.’
Although this might seem like a gag gift you would get your closest mate that you’ve known your whole life and have that kind of relationship with, this is definitely not the kind of gift that you get the only male coworker at your job.
“My coworkers gave me this ‘gift’ last Christmas,” he titled the Reddit post. “Should I have reported this? Sexual harassment?” Posted around midnight on May 31, 2023, the post has already received over 1000 upvotes and over 700 comments.
Photo: Reddit
In his post, he shows off the cover of the book as well as some of the notes written inside. Despite the name of an “Author” and the cover of the book making it look like an actual novel, this gag gift is actually a lined notebook and some of his coworkers had left him messages inside.
“I had nothing to do with this! I am sorry LOL. Love ya!” reads one of the notes. All of the names are edited out for anonymity’s sake, but he claims that they came from his coworkers and his main boss.
“I did not condone this, some people can’t let things go. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah,” wrote a second. “Merry X-mas, don’t worry you can buy add-ons. Have a fabulous break!”
The final comment on this page is a concerning one that reveals the work culture that he’s had to put up with since the start of the school year (he claims to work in a classroom). It reads, “I’m so sorry this condition has continued since September! Hope you have a wonderful holiday!”
Photo: Reddit
His coworkers started making this joke in September and haven’t stopped since.
Someone in the comments of the Reddit post pointed out the same signature and asked about what they were alluding to, prompting a response from the man himself. “Yes. They’d been repeating it for months, starting in September of last year,” he said.
So, his coworkers have been harassing him since September, they gave him this gift for Christmas, and they’re about to head off for summer vacation — why post it now? He revealed his intentions behind making the post so late, explaining that things have gotten worse.
“I held onto it for so long because I genuinely feared retaliation. Things have deteriorated so badly at work that I feel I have little to lose,” he said, adding that “this is a county superintendent of schools. One of the signatures belongs to a Program Specialist.”
To make matters worse, he claims that the gift was given to him in front of 3rd-5th graders, saying “Even creepier that these are school employees.”
Everyone suggested that he ought to file a report with HR and also pointed out that this would be a funny gift for your friend or a Bachelor’s party — not something suitable for a work environment.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics.