One More Quandary For Heather

I work at a car dealership. Since no one I work with knows that I have a blog, I will now state that the vast majority of my coworkers do not follow what is generally considered appropriate workplace etiquette. Things such as political correctness just do not seem to go hand-in-hand with the auto sales business. And this observation is coming from a person who will on occasion discreetly sniff her own underarms, checking for unwanted odor. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is friendly, it’s just that contemporary decorum is not necessarily a high priority.  

I have approximately forty coworkers. Other than one or two persons, I think all of them are older than I am, and about thirty are male. Throughout the average day I am referred to as “sweetie”, or some variation (sweetheart, honey, etc.), about four or five times. After almost two years of employment, I have come to the conclusion that, overall, I do not like these terms being applied to me.

There are two older men who often call me “honey”, and from them I actually like hearing it. I enjoy the term coming from these men because I know that they know my real name, and they say “honey” in a kind, respectful manner. They refer to me as “honey” as though I am their granddaughter. But then there are about a half dozen fellow employees who call me “sweetheart” or “honey” who I am not completely sure know my real name. These sexist monikers are kind of huffed at me. It can go something like, “Sweetie, would you be a good girl and bring us a couple of cups of coffee?” I grit my teeth just writing that command, a command I have actually heard.

There seems to be no set profile for the men who refer to me as “sweetie”. Some of the men are older, and some are barely over 30 years old. I could raise a fuss and probably get a few things changed, but do I really want to do that? Truth is; I’m not sure if it would be worth it. Just yesterday one of the men who is most likely to call me by a chauvinistic term was kind enough to ask me if he could bring me back something for lunch. A half hour later I was devouring a sub sandwich without either leaving my desk, or paying a cent. I have been the recipient of a number of other thoughtful acts. But my biggest concern is that I do not want to be seen as a bitch. I would hate that more than anything. So, should I just take the bad with the good? To tell you the truth, I don’t know. I hate being called “honey”, but I seem to be well-liked and I would not want to do anything to jeopardize that, and besides, that sub was absolutely delicious. I think it's just one more quandary for Heather.