Office Privacy/ Work requirements/ Harassment/ Pumping/ ADHD

Hello there, I work in a cubical environment on sensitive work; I recently moved to an office (closer to my home) as a reasonable accommodation because my newborn son has medical needs that require me to be close. My new office is predominately administrative people (I'm a scientist). They sort of linger around my desk and I've had a lot of men come by and inappropriately inquire about my plans for evening (men I don't know). With all that, it was very distracting for work, so I hung a pair of beautiful matching curtains on my cubical to create a barrier. It provided me with some privacy, enough to actually pump while I work and another unintended effect was my adhd wasn't bothersome, I could work without distraction. I got tons done. Two weeks into my curtains, I received a call from my boss (who is housed in an office 20 miles away) and said the director of the administrative staff wanted to meet with me to discuss my curtains. I thought this odd since I see her every day. Either way, I met with her - explained my need for privacy and she expressed understanding and said she would find me an office or a more private cube. Fast forward 1 one day. Several people I don't know came by my office telling me that they heard about curtains in another office (an office about 20 miles away) and they wanted to see them. Fast forward another day and I'm hearing that Senior Executives are talking about my curtains and whether or not they're allowed. head of HR ultimately said they should be allowed with a schedule posted of when they would be closed? (we have offices here that remain closed). There were insinuations made about how, although they're sure I wasn't doing anything 'weird' behind my curtains, that if everyone could have them that they may look at porn or something... Anyway, my boss said ultimately it would be easiest to take them down and wait for a resolution from the director of administrative services. I came into my office this week to do that, and they had already been removed; no solution for movement has yet been made. Now I'm subject of all this strange ridicule because I needed privacy. I keep hearing slandering terms in all 3 of the offices like, "she's an isolationist", and "what a weird thing to do". I don't get why my need for a TINY bit of mostly "perceived" privacy was so insulting.

I want to file a complaint; but because its office space - I'm not sure there are any legal grounds.

I want to add. The other offices (the cubicles in DC) have doors - they have umbrellas over the top of them to avoid light and air conditioning. And some other cubes here are DECKED out with redskins stuff or tons of private items.

I work for the federal government

0 answers  |  asked Sep 28, 2018 08:07 AM [EST]  |  applies to Maryland

Answers (0)

No answers were found for this question.

Answer This Question

Sign In to Answer this Question

Related Questions with Answers

Have an Employment Law question?