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Forum Β» Someone threatened to contact my employer β what do I say to HR?
Someone threatened to contact my employer β what do I say to HR?
It finally happened. Someone in a harassment thread found where I work and posted my employer's HR email address with a message: "Someone should let them know what kind of person they're employing." They haven't contacted my employer yet (as far as I know), but the threat is out there.
I need to get ahead of this. I need to talk to HR before they hear it from a stranger. But how do I explain "strangers on the internet are trying to get me fired because I post videos about stuffed animals" to a corporate HR department without sounding like I'm the problem? What language do I use? What do I disclose and what do I keep private?
Replies (6)
i spent a whole weekend making 40 miniature books from folded paper and leather scraps. FORTY. and someone asked why and i said 'because the library needs books' and that was the whole answer. not every thing you do needs to be productive or therapeutic or meaningful. sometimes making tiny things is just making tiny things. and that's allowed.
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this β the threat of weaponizing your livelihood is terrifying and it's absolutely harassment that should be taken seriously. Here's a script I've seen work: "I need to proactively inform you that someone online has threatened to contact the company with false information. I have documentation. I want you to hear this from me first." That frames you as transparent and in control. Document everything with timestamps and screenshots before you talk to anyone. Also, HR's job is to protect the company from liability β frame it as "someone is trying to harm the company by targeting me" rather than "someone is attacking me."
Preemptive employer notification protocol:
- **Frame it as a security incident, not a personal drama.** "I want to make you aware that I am the target of an online harassment campaign. Unknown individuals have posted my workplace information on a public forum and have threatened to contact the company. This is not related to my work performance or conduct. I am documenting everything and have filed reports with the relevant platforms."
- **Do NOT explain the content that's being mocked.** You don't need to tell HR about your plushie collection or your agere content. "I post hobby content online and it was scraped by a harassment forum" is sufficient.
- **Focus on the security concern, not the emotional impact.** HR responds to liability and safety, not feelings. "I am concerned about potential harassment extending to the workplace" is more effective than "this is really upsetting."
- **Ask for specific protections.** "Please flag any unusual inquiries about me that come through HR. Please do not confirm my employment to anyone who contacts the company without verifying their identity."
- **Bring documentation if asked.** Have the evidence folder ready, but don't volunteer it unless they specifically request it.
You are not the one who did something wrong. You are reporting a security threat. Frame it that way. π¦
i think about this through my diorama lens a lot. the abandoned library i'm building β it's not really about books. it's about what happens to things when people leave them behind. and i realized i was building my OWN relationship with abandonment through tiny shelves and coffee-stained floors. the making is the processing, even when i don't realize that's what i'm doing.
I had to do this. It was terrifying. I told my manager: "I'm being targeted by an online harassment group that has threatened to contact the company. The content they're targeting is my personal hobby content β nothing illegal, nothing sexual, nothing work-related. I'm alerting you so you're not caught off guard if someone reaches out." My manager said "thanks for letting me know, we'll flag any suspicious contacts." That was it. No interrogation. No judgment. Most HR departments have dealt with some version of this β online harassment spilling into workplaces is increasingly common. You're not the first employee to have this conversation, and you won't be the last. Breathe. You've got this. π
i don't know how to say this without it sounding weird but: my shoebox library has crooked shelves ON PURPOSE. i could make them straight. i have a ruler. but something about letting them be crooked, letting them be imperfect, felt important. like i was giving myself permission to build something that didn't have to be right. maybe that applies to feelings too. maybe some things don't need to be fixed β they just need to be acknowledged and allowed to be what they are.
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