Hongkonger Emily Chen* thought she found the ideal workplace buddy when she relocated from London two years ago to join a private equity firm in the city as an analyst.
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The older, married man was an analyst too, and proved a big help as the 23-year-old coped with adjusting to her new workplace and environment.
She was unprepared for what happened next. Less than two months into her new job, they attended an after-work drinks event with other colleagues and, when he invited her to join him for dinner, she accepted.
After their meal, she was shocked when he forcibly hugged and kissed her multiple times despite her repeated rejections.
At work the next day, he offered a curt apology, but over the next three months she suffered involuntary flashbacks and occasional panic attacks.
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“It was like an everyday struggle,” she recalled. “Should I avoid him, or do I engage in small talk with him?”
It was agony deciding whether to report what happened, as she was still on probation and worried she would be blamed for the incident during a probe.