I work in a metropolitan city. Most employees are permanent, protected by a strong union and hard to fire. I am a temporary employee, and I have been working in the same team for several years.
A few months ago, an employee from another team that sits next to ours came up to me, and said that I should cut off my hair and give it to children with cancer. While I feel sorry for children suffering from cancer and their family, it doesn't mean women should have to cut off all their hair.
At first, I tried joking it off because I was really taken aback by what he said. A few days ago, the same coworker came up to me and told me again to cut off my hair and give it to make wigs for children with cancer. Again, I tried to deflect the conversation and joke it off.
I really don't want to file any complaints because:
- It's a waste of time. I enjoy my work and get value from the tasks.
- It seems the person making the complaint would get vilified somehow.
- The coworker may not realize his wrong behavior, and won't stop.
How do I make this stop? Is there anything I can do proactively, or is it wait and watch?