I’m an independent contractor who picks up and delivers Walmart orders. I don’t work for Walmart directly, but I interact with employees every day while picking up deliveries. A few days ago, one of the store managers pulled me aside and gave me a verbal warning. She told me not to approach one of the employees anymore and said that if I did, I could lose access to that store and no longer be able to pick up orders there. There was no formal meeting, no written complaint shown to me, and I wasn’t told exactly what I had supposedly done. It was simply a warning. For some background, I’m 33 and she’s 20. Several months ago, we went on a few dates. We spent time together, developed some intimacy, but never had sex. We were never officially in a relationship. I eventually ended things because she constantly accused me of talking to or seeing other women at the store. Those accusations weren’t true. She would even take pictures of me speaking with female employees and show them to me later, asking who they were or implying I was interested in them. The jealousy, accusations, and emotional games became too much, so I decided to walk away. After that, we remained civil. I never asked her out again, never texted her, never called her, and never tried to restart anything. If we crossed paths at the store, we were simply friendly. In fact, over the last few weeks, everything seemed completely normal between us. Then, about two weeks ago, something happened that I now believe led to this situation. I noticed that her shirt had shifted and part of her chest was exposed. I quietly told her something along the lines of, “Hey, you might want to cover up.” From my perspective, it wasn’t intended to be sexual or disrespectful. I genuinely thought I was giving her a heads-up because if I noticed it, someone else could notice it too. I never imagined that comment would become a problem. After the manager’s warning, I overheard conversations around the store that made me believe she had reported me for making inappropriate comments. Nobody officially told me that was the reason, so I can’t say that with certainty, but that’s what I gathered from what I overheard. Since then, it feels like a lot of people at the store know something happened. I’ve noticed awkward looks, overheard a few comments, and the atmosphere feels different. Whether that’s actually true or just my perception, I honestly don’t know, but the situation has definitely been uncomfortable. The moment I received the warning, I completely stopped interacting with her. I don’t approach her, I don’t speak to her, and I simply go into the store, pick up my orders, and leave. What bothers me the most is that someone who knew me personally and knew our history would interpret—or present—a comment like that in a way that could potentially damage my reputation and even affect my ability to work. At this point, my plan is simply to stay professional, avoid all contact, and move on. Do you think that’s the right approach? Is there anything else you would do if you were in my position? submitted by /u/josangon
Originally posted by u/josangon on r/AskMen