Undeserved rep, how to counter it?

[The LadyKiller]

Background: I work at a company that is in a suburb/non-populus region that 95% people relocated to work. We're all in our 20s and there are a couple hundred of us, so most - if not all - of our friends are people we work with. The company itself is large, but not so much the surrounding area.

The problem: I was out with some friends, including one work superior I am on very good terms with. He told me that some of my colleagues (note: not bosses) have been chirping that I talk to some girls around the office. Four years ago, a girl who was fired for trying to sabotage the company sued a bunch of guys, including me. Nothing came of it since I did nothing, she had no claims, and HR knew it was bs immediately. Evidently, while my bosses and HR have laughed it off, my peers secretly feel it carries weight though there is no merit. My friend/superior said a guy tried to bring up something I said in a group text...which I never, ever said. It's clear the girl being discussed had nothing to do with this, as she and I get along well and she still contacts me.

The reputation: Regardless of how it came about, my friend/work superior says that while he knows I'm an outgoing guy who will talk to anyone, guy or girl, people think I'm some sort of womanizer, and I'm specifically the one they draw their ire to. The fallacies: 1.) I've hooked up with girls, but none from work, 2.) Several of my friends and colleagues are dating co-workers, 3.) There are plenty of other guys who ignore their work responsibilities to chat up girls. I take care of my work first and foremost, as that's my primary responsibility.

The question: What am I supposed to do? The good news is my bosses, HR and anyone important know that I'm a model employee (they recently gave me girl temps to show the ropes to, so pretty clear they trust me), I'm being eyed by pretty much everyone else. I'm a talkative and kind guy who tries to make work fun. Considering all our friends here are people we work with, I don't want to be a quiet, keep-to-himself employee while everyone else can do as they please.

 

[The LadyKiller]

I looked into somewhat, the guys I work exclusively with and were in on the text, and there's a chance none of them said anything. We scrolled through the conversation and the one girl's name never came up once. They were shocked someone even knew about the fact we have a group text. My only other guess is someone - someone at my level, most likely - overheard us talking and made assumptions that weren't accurate. For what it's worth, the friend/superior mentioned someone I wouldn't initially guess of said something.

I am sensitive about how I am portrayed, especially at work and especially when it's inaccurate.

 

[El Payaso]

"I am sensitive about how I am portrayed, especially at work and especially when it's inaccurate."

Then don't be. People will think what they want. Do you.

 

[KingBeef]

You have to learn how to develop a thick skin. Why would you care about what other people think? You and your superiors know that you're fine and that nonsense had nothing to do with you. BUT you cannot allow self doubt and baseless notions to plague your mind.

Be confident and develop strong inner self where trivial things like this don't get to you.
Also, don't ever be timid about defending yourself. If you're in good relations with your boss then you're fine. You really need to stand up for yourself.

 

[The LadyKiller]

Good advice here, thanks. I know with absolute certainty: A.) There is definitely some rep going around amongst my peers, but B.) Management either doesn't care or knows it's bull. My boss recently called me in to talk about a promotion in the near future, so safe to say I'm in good standing.

I feel I generally have tough skin, but it wears thin when seemingly everyone feeds into the perception. I know and have seen guys who really creep on coworkers, and there's no rep associated with them. That's probably what bothered me. Interactions are over before they start. But you know what? I don't care anymore. The first mention shocked me a little bit - this was when I made the thread, but now it's dirt off my shoulder. Someone brought it up today, I told them I don't care what the rep is, they can think what they want.

P.S. KingOfPuss that's a crazy story.

 

[Sho-No-Luv]

Hmm, must say I went through something similar. Sometimes its jealousy, sometimes its people setting you up to take a downfall meaning some one to blame all their problems on.

And i'll let you in on a little secret, those people know you're straight laced, but they know you're a hard worker and probably suspect that you're in good steed with management and they are jealous and want you to take a fall.

I'm like you and have never slept with anyone on my job before, but I was really tempted to one time. I had the perfect setup as my cubicle was hidden from view from most of my other coworkers.

There was this really cute coworker on my team who made excuses to come over to my cubicle, pretty soon after a few weeks she got touch feely with her hands. She had a body out of this world and one day she came over to my desk and things go a little out of control she sat in my lap and started rubbing my chest, kissing me on the neck(I was a little well shocked) then she started rubbing my nipples. I got hot and started touching her ass and playing with her tits, but I could hear someone coming down the aisle and as soon as she got up off my lap and left my cubicle, that person was about twenty feet away from my cubicle.

That person turned out to be a manager who was known to be a man hating biitch. But she never said anything to me instead she told "our" immediate boss that she suspected we were up to no good.

So my boss and my bosses boss called this female into their office and started drilling her on details, but since she had been there longer than me and had more seniority not to mention that her work ethic was excellent they had no choice but to listen to her, and she told me just told them that she was helping me out with work. That was a close call, and had this female chose to she could have ruined me. After that they passed out sexual harassment related material to the whole dept.

Later on I overheard this female actually admit to another female on our team that she was the perpetrator. And yes, word soon spreaded that me and this female had slept together, but it wasn't true. And yes I got the womanizer lable too and other females up there got to be more flirtatious as well, but besides this one I never touched any of the other ones. Kinda regretted not screwing her, but I found out later she had a boyfriend that worked in the same building, but he worked in another dept.