Dealing with surprises at work can be tough, especially when personal issues and security problems come up. It’s important to stay professional and handle things carefully to keep the workplace safe and running smoothly.
OP (26F) works for a large aviation company in the US as an Executive Assistant. She recently started a new rotation with her new boss, James (32M), who is shy and very religious. Over six months, they became good friends. James’s mother visited to bring him lunch while he was in meetings. When OP greeted her, she began crying and yelling Bible verses, demanding OP leave and firing her, assuming James’s assistant should be male. She locked herself in James’s office, which OP couldn’t allow for confidentiality reasons. Panicked, OP called security to remove her. Scroll down to see what was James’ reaction.
1. OP asks if it was wrong for calling security to remove the boss’s mother from our workplace after she locked herself in his office and became aggressive.
2. OP (26F) works as an Executive Assistant for a large aviation company in the US and has been with the company for 4 years.
3. OP’s role shifts based on company needs. Six months ago, OP started a new rotation and began working with a new boss, James (32M).
4. James is decent but seemed odd at first—very quiet, shy, and unable to make direct eye contact with OP.
5. James is very religious, with more crosses in his office than OP has seen in churches. OP, also from a Christian family, finds it a bit excessive.
6. James and OP have grown close over six months, becoming good friends. OP feels a spark but neither has acted on it.
7. James mentioned his mother was bringing lunch and asked OP to refrigerate it. He rarely talks about his family, who live out of state.
8. At 9:30 am, James’ mom arrived with lunch. She cried and yelled Bible verses at OP after being introduced, and wouldn’t explain what was wrong.
9. James’ mom said OP couldn’t be his assistant because she assumed OP was male, demanded OP leave, and locked herself in James’ office.
10. OP found her behavior frightening and was unsure what to do. OP couldn’t let anyone into the office without James and tried to get her to leave.
11. OP, unable to reach the boss, called security. They escorted his mother off the property while she caused a scene.
12. James was upset and wished OP had called him instead of security. He said his mother is protective and OP embarrassed him by causing a scene.
13. Some coworkers agree with OP, but others think calling security was wrong. OP feels uncertain and questions if calling security was the right choice.
James was upset when OP called security, saying OP should have called him instead of causing a scene. Some coworkers agree with OP, while others think she overreacted. OP feels conflicted about her actions.
Now that you have read the story, it’s time for you to see what Redditors had to say about the story. Don’t forget to share your own opinion at the end of this article.
14. You did the right thing to call security. Her behavior was intimidating and unprofessional.
15. Your priority is the safety and confidentiality of the workplace.
16. You followed company policy and prioritized workplace security.
17. It’s not your fault that James’s mother reacted this way. You acted responsibly under the circumstances and did what you needed to protect the office.
18. It’s unfair to blame OP for handling a disruptive and aggressive visitor.
19. Security is there for situations like this.
20. It’s not your responsibility to manage personal family issues.
OP handled the situation effectively as there was no other option than calling security. What are your thoughts on this story? You know that your feedback means a lot to us; therefore, we want you to share your thoughts in the comment section below. For more such articles, keep visiting our website. Have a nice day!
