I sit next to a guy at work who is acting like a total jackass. He recently hired a new, young, pretty woman in his department and he is behaving like a teenage boy around her; flirting, laughing at everything she says, finding lame excuses to talk to her, and generally acting like an idiot. I’m embarrassed for him and I feel like I should say something because his behavior is noticeable…and he’s married. Would it be completely out of line to talk to him? We’re at the same level in our company and we don’t work directly together, so it would be more out of trying to help him just for the sake of it than for any gain for myself. But I don’t really know how to put it.
I hate to be a hypocrite, because I don’t enjoy minding my own business, but in this case, that’s exactly what I think you should do. If it’s not affecting your actual work, and your career isn’t suffering in any way because of that ridiculous fool, it’s best to stay quiet. You don’t know the situation with his wife, you’re not the flirt police, and seriously, if he wants to shoot himself in the foot by looking like a lovesick schoolboy in the office, it’s kind of good for you. I mean, if you’re on the same level and a promotion becomes available, are they going to give it to you or to someone who just spent six months acting like a complete ding-a-ling because an attractive woman joined his group?
Also, think about that poor woman. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to go about your day while some ham-handed douchebag with no concept of his own douchiness puts the moves on you over and over again. If it gets really bad, you might want to anonymously pass her a copy of your company’s sexual harassment policy. Oops, there I go again, telling people not to mind their own business.
