There is this guy in my office, he is newly employed, very calm and respectful, but his behaviour towards female colleagues is… different. Very different. I later found out the reason. Apparently, in his former workplace, he once complimented a female colleague. According to him, it was an innocent compliment, but the lady took it the wrong way and reported him to HR. Long story short, he lost his job because of that single compliment. Now, this experience has clearly traumatised him. In our office, anytime he wants to interact with any lady, he turns everything into a legal process. Before greeting you, he will ask, “Do I have your consent to greet you?” If you stretch your hand for a handshake, he says, “Do I have your consent to shake your hand?” If you are assigned to work together, he asks, “Do I have your consent to work with you?” It does not even stop there. As a matter of fact, he starts with, “Do I have your consent to ask for your consent?” At first, I thought he was joking. But he is very serious about it. I once told him that it was not necessary and that he should relax. His reply was, “That is exactly what she said before I got fired.” On one hand, I understand him. Workplace misunderstandings can destroy careers, especially for men. On the other hand, his approach makes every simple interaction feel awkward, like we are signing a contract just to say good morning. It makes me wonder, is this what a safe work environment should look like? Or has fear now replaced normal human interaction? Is this extreme caution healthy, or is it a sign of a system that has gone too far? I really want to hear your thoughts. Should we blame him for protecting himself, or should we be worried that things have reached this level?