Every once in a while, my job requires going to a different office to pick up documents. This wasn’t a problem for me until my abusive ex started working there.
I’m not afraid of him and I know he wouldn’t do anything, but I really don’t want to see him. It’s triggering and upsetting to be reminded of what he put me through.
So far I have been able to find others to help me with these tasks so I haven’t had to divulge anything. It’s not something that comes up often, maybe every few months, so it’s not like I’m unable to do my job and I’m not taking up a significant amount of anyone else’s time (I’m always willing to help others when asked too).
I’m worried that it’s going to come up again though and that it’ll be time sensitive and there will be no good excuse for why I can’t just run over there and do it quickly. I know my bosses would be understanding if I told them the truth, but it feels SO vulnerable to tell them about being a DV survivor.
What should I do? How much, if anything, should I tell them?
Comments
If your bosses are really understanding I think you need to tell them, it’s the only way to have them truly understand the position you’re in. You could try to beat around the bush and tell them there’s someone there that you’re afraid of because they have a violent history towards you but I’m gonna bet they’ll ask at least a few more questions to find out who, what, and why. If you don’t tell them and do get into a situation where someone needs to go there fast, it will reflect poorly on you if they don’t know why.