A woman was recently promoted at work – but her replacement is a former one-night stand who won't stop reminding her.

She told So You Think You’re an Adult she loves her new role – but she was “horrified” to learn the new recruit to fill her old position was a man she met the previous year. 

“It was only once, although he has tried to text me several times since then to see if I would like to meet him again,” she told Moncrieff. 

“I had hoped he would remain professional in this new role, but that hasn't been the case anytime we've been alone. 

“He makes inappropriate comments about getting up to mischief in the office and other fantasies he has in mind.” 

The woman wants to tell her superiors about this behaviour – but she’s worried about what they’ll think when they discover she slept with one of her own subordinates in the past. 

Unprofessional behaviour

Broadcaster Declan Buckley said the woman is clearly trying to be professional – but the man “is not taking her seniority seriously”. 

“The consequence is quite serious, though – you have a contractual responsibility to let employers know about any relationships,” he said. 

“Either she does the straight-up thing and says this guy is being unprofessional... or she really explains to him, which she already has.” 

One-night stand

Writer Barbara Scully suggested there is a “sexist” element to the man’s inappropriate behaviour. 

“He's not taking the fact that she's in a more senior position to him seriously,” she said. 

“This is the first time probably she's been working at this level, and I think it's really important... she has to sit him down and say ‘I am your boss’. 

“In this instance, she needs to shut him down, I think, clearly and quickly.” 

'Protect yourself'

Declan pointed out there could be further stress since her personal life is broaching her “professional, conscientious” life. 

Barbara said she must power through that awkwardness – because it would probably only encourage the man to make more comments. 

An HR expert got in touch with the show to say the woman must tell her own HR staff about the one-night stand immediately. 

“If he turns nasty, he could fake a complaint about her sexually harassing him,” she said. 

“She doesn't have to go into massive detail - she can say ‘previous person relationship’ - but she absolutely has to tell them to protect herself.” 

People can find more HR advice at The HR Company.