Mostly clear skies this evening. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Mostly clear skies this evening. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Ah, summer camp. A building block of childhood. In my youth, I was an avid day camper, and I loved it so much that I came back as a staff member when I was old enough. 

I sang the songs, told the silly riddles, taught the activities — I was all in. However, choosing whether or not to return to camp staff always seemed like a monumental task. Sure, I had fun, but I was spending two months of my summer working somewhere with virtually no relevance to my major and putting myself at a financial disadvantage.

Thus came about the big question: Was it worth it?

I decided that the answer was yes and went all in for summer number two. It looked like we would be rather understaffed, and I didn’t even know if we’d have a director. Heck, I might even have to step up into a leadership role.

Things were uncertain, but I was looking forward to the shenanigans and rapport that made me love camp so much. I had dug a six-foot hole for a tree at 3 a.m. I had gone all out for our gift exchange. This wouldn’t be my first go-around, and I was surely ready for whatever this year would throw at me.

How wrong I was. I assumed that everyone would be playing by the rules, but I landed with a co-worker that was blurring the lines between right and wrong. 

Discrimination and harassment have existed in the workplace for as long as the workplace itself, but I never thought it would happen to me. I’m sure many readers think that as well.

I invite you to revisit that philosophy. Workplace harassment can happen to anyone, and it can be so elusive that you don’t even bat an eye. 

Workplace harassment is defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, as treating someone differently, or less favorably, for any reason. In my experience, it progressed so subtly that it was difficult to allow myself to validate how bad I felt on the inside. 

Workplace discrimination looks different for everyone, but my situation went something like this:

It started with some snide comments that made me cringe inwardly, but you can’t tell someone off for having a personality you don’t mesh with.

It evolved into discussions of specific issues, whether that be body image, politics, racism or sexism.

At that point, I could have said something, but I didn’t want to be that person — the fun-ruiner, the buzzkill. Plus, this coworker was funny, and I did like hanging out with him on occasion. He told hilarious jokes and regaled us with great stories from other jobs he’d had. I forgot all the past offenses and chalked it up to the adjustment period of working with someone new.

It escalated into harsh, almost hostile, criticism when he yelled at us one day. We were chewed out for something that I felt wasn’t our fault without allowing us a word in edgewise, telling us all the ways that we could have done our jobs better and the potential, albeit exaggerated, consequences of our screwup.

I locked myself in my room for the next hour, skipping dinner for fear of how I would act in public. I felt the unfamiliar feeling of rage bubbling in my chest. I paced back and forth for a while, even going through a bout of punching a wooden bed frame several times.

Now, let’s take a step back here. It’s hard to identify a situation of harassment while you’re in it, but it’s easier to see from the outside. This situation was taking a severe toll on my mental health, and the pitiful wage I was making was certainly not worth it.

The EEOC says that harassment can look like a number of things, including “offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures and interference with work performance.”

When reviewing my situation, I can recall dealing with offensive jokes, intimidation, ridicule, insults and interference with work performance. The things that messed with me were the intentions and targets. My co-worker wasn’t bullying just me, and it didn’t specifically stem from malice toward us. However, it did make me uncomfortable at work, and I dreaded interactions with him.

If no one has told you this, let me be the one to do so because it’s perhaps the most important piece of advice I’ve been given with regards to my professional life: You’re worth more than the wage you earn. 

I’ve been training to be a consultant at the Writing Center this year, and the director, Dr. Rachel Azima, mentioned that we didn’t have to go through with an appointment if a client made us uncomfortable. 

This concept was mind-blowing to me, as I planned to be working for a wage and was prepared to deal with any situations that might arise within it. It isn’t a radical concept, but it can be hard to stand up for yourself when you’re used to the grind of working 9 to 5, day in and day out.

If you’re a fellow employee who dreads going into work every day, I invite you to advocate for yourself the next time you work a shift. Speak to the co-worker that makes you uncomfortable or, if that sounds intimidating, invite a superior to be a part of the conversation so that you have someone on your side.

It can be an intimidating idea, but it is definitely worth the effort. Imagine what a positive workplace looks like to you, and consider what it would be like to work there. I would rather work in a place where I feel welcome and valued than somewhere I feel useless and worthless.

Anyone can help make a workplace better for the people who work there. Be a patient customer, a supportive manager and a confident employee. 

I forgot to stand up for myself this summer, even though I had a million and one opportunities to do so. I could have, and I should have, but it’s not too late to learn a lesson from it.

The co-worker that caused me so much grief quit for personal reasons partway through the summer, and I can genuinely say that I hold no ill will toward him. But I learned an important lesson about self-worth: You don’t check your humanity at the door when you walk into work. 

Rylee Gregg is a sophomore English and Spanish double major. Reach her at ryleegregg@dailynebraskan.com.

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