…what should I do?
I was just opening up a security door. My direct report was on the other side. There has been some subtle animosity between us, but I had hoped it was settled. She stuck her fingers into my chest in a ‘gun’ symbol and yelled ‘Bang’ from the other side of the door.
She then laughed and went back to her desk. I’m still so rattled I can’t freaking spell straight.
Should I report this to HR? Is she making a sick joke out of me being caucasian and her being of asian descent?
Yes. Go to HR, and put it on the record, ESPECIALLY if she meant it as a racial thing.
Yeah, report it! In all likelihood she’s harmless to your physical (if not mental) health, but that’s unacceptable workplace behavior.
Out of curiousity, what’s your “direct report”? Does she report directly to you, or do you report directly to her?
Wow. With the ethnicity of the VT shooter in mind, I would be off to HR immediately.
I can see the relation especially if this is the first time the co-worker has made this gesture and is merely playing off of the fear that some might have of Asians at this point, even though that fear is basically unfounded. The guy that did this is dead and he’s, you know, like one in 5 billion.
The OP and the gun wielding co-worker have been at it in the past.
OP, Is this sort of thing even close to what happened in past encounters? Are you possibly being more sensitive in light of recent events?
Did the co-worker actually touch you, or was the finger at arms length away from you? If anything there should be a report made because this is a form of intimidation regardless of VT.
Wow, I’m wondering what makes asians so special? Would you make the same statement if the shooter and the woman were white or black?
I’d let it go. Sounds like one of those inappropriate expressions of grief to me. I’ve heard people laugh over tragedies before.
Wait, was she face to face, touching your chest, or on the other side of the door?
Buh? 
Go to HR. At best, it was a horribly inappropriate and unprofessional joke. At worst, it was a death threat. Either way, she fully deserves to incur some level of bureaucratic wrath.
I’m a little unclear about that too.
Also, was her general demeanor playful or threatening?
A person’s “direct reports” are usually that person’s direct subordinates.
But it is unclear, since usually a person who has direct reports has more than one, and the OP sounds like s/he might have only one–but then that could be a boss!
Kind of reminds me of the “The” thread a couple of days ago…Carry on.
I would have had to ask her why in the hell she did that.
You say it was a “security” door. Could the “bang” just have been a really bad reference to breaching a secure area?
While the move certainly was most unprofessional, is there anything else to suggest that it was intended to be threatning? That it was in reference to the tragic events of Monday?
Report it to HR - let them figure it out. It was inappropriate for the workplace. There was no actual harm done, but she should not have gone there. It was about the same level of inappropriate as someone saying to a subordinate, “Come to my place after work and if you’re nice to me, we can talk about your promotion. Just kidding!” You just don’t do that.
I would report it if it made you uncomfortable, but consider my mind boggled over the idea that anyone would make any connection in re: the ethnicity of the VaTech shooter. Especially comments in the
vein.
Yes, because when one person has a mental meltdown, we all know how likely it is that all other people of even remotely similar ethnic decent will suddenly turn on all caucasians like rabid dogs. :rolleyes:
I would tend to report it because a co-worker was acting inappropriate and in a threatening manner, and especially because you feel there are unresolved conflicts with her that HR might be able to help mitigate, but not because of any spurious racial connection.
Whaa? My initial read was sort of a friendly scare, like “Ooh, he didn’t expect anyone to be on the other side of this door, so I’ll jump out and scare him!” Given that there was antagonism between you two in the past, it becomes a little more weird. But I don’t see why it’s horribly inappropriate. I mean, if it is in reference to the VT shootings, then it is horribly inappropriate. But unless you’re working at a university, I don’t see why that connection would even occur to anyone (sorry, are you working at a university?)
Am I missing something?
Jump out and scare him is not the same as point a finger at him like a gun and say “Bang!” I’m not saying that pointing a finger at someone like a gun is harmful in itself (unless you poke them in the eye), but is inappropriate for what it represents; it represents a gun, and shooting your co-worker. Giving someone the finger at work is inappropriate, too, not because someone sticking a finger out at you is harmful, but it represents “fuck you,” and everyone knows it means that.
Before everyone comes in and says that they always joke around with their co-workers and give them the finger all the time, Count Blucher doesn’t sound like he has that kind of relationship with his subordinate.
To the OP, it sounds like you’re COMPLETELY overreacting. Is there something more to this story that you’re not mentioning, because you sound like a complete nutjob based on what’s there. Someone does a friendly “bang-bang! gotcha!” gesture and then laughs, and you’re “so rattled you can’t spell straight?” :dubious:
Are you just not mentioning that you’re both professional assassins or something?
It sounds like a COMPLETELY benign, silly gesture on her part.
Put me in the “what the hell?” camp. Sounds like she was messing around with you. Tell me, was her laugh sadistic and maniacal or playful and friendly?
I wasn’t there, but from your description of the event, you are way overreacting. Human Resources is designed to be overly paranoid. When you report this, it will automatically go into her personnel file. Perhaps you are the cause of the subtle animosity. Perhaps talking to her before you talk to HR would be much more constructive.