KEY POINTS:
Fashion designer Denise L'Estrange-Corbet and her daughter Pebbles answer your agonising questions
Q. I have just started a new job, and one of the men in the office swears at me when we are alone, and says I am not worth what I am paid. He is not my senior, and I believe he went for the position I got. It is really upsetting me.
Denise says: I would ask him outright what his problem is, as it's obvious he has one, and shouting at you is not going to sort it out. If he went for the job you got, and was not successful, there must have been a reason. Whatever it was, it's not your fault, so tell him to stop yelling like some soccer yob and to start behaving professionally.
He must realise he is being unreasonable, as he only does it when you are alone together, and that can be quite intimidating. I would either ignore him completely, or would gradually start putting everything on his desk through the shredder when he was out.
Pebbles says: Remember you still have the better job. So make an official complaint, but during the process make fun of the situation by telling him that although you may not be worth the pay he's still getting less, and therefore he should shut up and get back to his lesser version of your job.
Don't sit and take it like a mature woman. Mock him because at the end of the day you're getting paid for it.
