Dear Amy: Iβm a woman working for a software startup. We are all millennials. I really enjoy my job, except for this: Picture a group of (mostly male) software developers shooting Nerf guns at each other, with Nerf darts whistling past you, hitting windows, office equipment and other employees.
There is nowhere to physically βhideβ from these battles. Only a few higher-ups have offices.
Iβm caught in the crossfire on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis and have gotten hit by darts multiple times. If itβs somewhere below my neck, it doesnβt bother me as much. But recently I was hit in the back of the head. I just think this goes beyond normal workplace fun, and is a huge distraction.
A few months back, another employee got hit in the eye and had to seek medical attention for a scratched cornea.
Am I overreacting here, or do I have valid concerns? Is this an HR issue, or should I accept this as a normal office activity that management knows about?
I donβt want to voice my concerns for fear of being labeled difficult to work with. But at the same time, I donβt think itβs too much to ask not to have to worry about getting injured at work in an office.
Iβm pretty sure there are quite a few other co-workers who quietly feel the same way, but I suspect they are also afraid of voicing a concern and being labeled as a bad apple.
β Battle Scarred
Dear Battle Scarred: I donβt have much personal insight into the crazy world of Silicon Valley, so I asked my friend, Axios tech journalist Ina Fried, for some advice. Hereβs her response:
βWhile itβs great that your colleagues have so much, um, enthusiasm, you certainly have the right to do your work without having to constantly worry about friendly fire. That said, no one wants to be known as the office killjoy, so some diplomacy makes sense, too.
βI recommend talking to HR privately. Say that while you want your co-workers to have fun, itβs starting to get out of hand and you are concerned for your own safety and productivity, as well as for the company. (Really, if someone already has a scratched cornea they should understand they have a problem.) You can also mention that you value having fun at work and have tried to think of some alternatives.
βMaybe the company can designate a βgame timeβ that way everyone that likes turning the office into a Nerf firing range can do so. Or perhaps there is one part of the office (away from the desks) that could be used for such activities.
And, if they arenβt open to that, you might want to consider a strategic retreat.β
I would add that this is yet another way that tech companies are earning their reputation as hostile work environments to women and other people who donβt like to behave like theyβre at a frat house. Please, stand up for your own rights.
