Man stares at me in work

I work in a hotel in the back office and I have been feeling really uncomfortable by a man staring at me in work during my breaks in the only break room we have which is a tiny canteen (seats about 10 people close together).

On about 5 separate occasions he has stared at me for prolonged periods of time with intense eyes almost without blinking. Any time I’ve been in there with him he has done it. I can feel he’s eyes on me, I can see in my peripheral and if I glance by to check he is indeed staring me down.

The first time I just noticed it but thought maybe it was because he hadn’t seen me before.Then the second I noticed and felt a little weird. The third and fourth time I was sitting with a work colleague who noticed it so much and told me about it afterwards saying it wasn’t okay and was intrusive and also made her feel uncomfortable which was reassuring knowing I wasn’t imagining it as it’s a hard one to prove.

The day before last I went into the canteen and it was empty to my relief but after I sat down and started eating he came in and also got some food and sat right next to me. So I called my partner on my phone just so I could take my attention off of him incase he was staring again as I just felt so anxious and didn’t look in his direction at all. I finished quick as possible and left to go home.

Then yesterday I went to have my dinner and noticing it was busy in there and he was also in there eating I chose to leave and come back. Unfortunately when I came back he was still there but it was my only chance to have some food before continuing work so I grabbed a small plate and sat on the only available seat which was the table next to him.

I looked at the doorway in his direction to see people entering as I had this feeling he would be looking at me. When I looked at the doorway a few times and saw him in the side of my eyesight staring I turned to him to see him intensely staring at me (understand his body was turned in the other direction and he was clearly turning his head to look at me, it wasn’t a coincidental look) and I honestly felt so frustrated with it and I said to him: Are you okay?! He replies: yes still staring intensely and almost smiling. I said WHY ARE YOU STARING AT ME? Every-time I’m here you stare at me and it makes me feel so uncomfortable and it’s not okay! I walked out the room because I was so uncomfortable and nervous.

I reported it to one of the males above me who said “oh yes I know about - named him- he’s a weirdo, and absolute freak. He’s wrote letters to the owner of the hotel saying he’s getting bullied too. He’s not well. Just ignore him.

I spoke to the girls at reception near me (one of whom has experienced similar with him) and they were very supportive and said I need to speak to a particular senior person as they could see I was upset.

By chance in the hour following I was in an area next to the senior and was able to speak about it. He said it was not okay and reassured me I shouldn’t be made to feel like that and asked if I wanted to make a formal complaint. As this was the end of my shift and he was in the middle of a function he agreed to meet with me on Friday and asked me to consider fully if I wanted to formally complain.

I didn’t sleep well as I was so stressed last night about all of it. I had also bumped into the staring man in the corridor before leaving work and I actually felt scared like he triggered a fight or flight in me because I had confronted him. I’m 5’3 F - he’d definitely be able to strangle me to death if he tried. (Maybe dramatic but it’s been a thought!)

I don’t know if I should report a formal complaint or just see if he stops after I said something yesterday. What are your thoughts?

(Thank you to anyone who reads this)