5 Shady Signs You're Being Bullied At Work Because You're A Woman, Reveals Career Coach
As much as we would like to pretend gender discrimination doesn't exist, it does.
Yan Krukau | Canva By Suzanne Kleinberg
Even though the Civil Rights Act (and other state legislation) protects women from workplace bullying and gender discrimination, it still happens.
Whether it's being passed over for a promotion or getting paid less than a male co-worker in the same job, sad statistics tell us, or being demeaned in the office, it's possible that women are being demeaned or facing discrimination in the workplace.
While the aforementioned scenarios are some of the more common examples of gender discrimination, it's important to know that this type of inequity is sometimes subtler.
Not only are covert examples of gender discrimination equally unacceptable, but they only signal even more inappropriate behavior in the future.
That's why it's super important that you protect yourself. Here are five subtle examples of gender discrimination in the workplace you must be aware of.
Here are 5 shady signs you're being bullied at work because you're a woman:
1. Suddenly, your interview gets personal
An interviewer who feels comfortable asking questions such as “Do you have or plan to have kids? Do you have to be home at a certain time?” is highly questionable.
While you can pass off these questions in a conversational or light tone, the brutal truth is that it most likely means they aren't interested in hiring a mother.
Sora Shimazaki / Pexels
It doesn't even matter if you're not the prime caregiver; the interviewer automatically sees you as the parent who runs home to take her children to karate or stays home when they get sick.
But don’t assume that only a man would ask these questions. Female interviewers ask them too.
2. Your leadership skills are constantly questioned
Have you ever given a performance review, reprimanded a subordinate, or provided suggestions to a team member only to hear complaints later that you were picking on or acting too aggressively with an employee?
The sad thing is that there are employees who become agitated when criticized by a female, according to a 2017 piece in The Atlantic entitled 'Why Women Get Criticized At Work,' and yet act decidedly less defensive when a male does the same.
3. Your responsibilities are taken away
Are you asked to keep the meeting minutes or make team social arrangements because of your gender while possessing the same job title as men on the team?
If you're in sales, have your responsibilities become less sales-oriented while the same cannot be said of the men on the sales team?
The outdated notion that women are better suited for administrative rather than negotiation-related tasks is discriminatory.
4. You're given last-minute jobs or impossible deadlines
Giving last-minute jobs or impossible deadlines to a woman to prove that she cannot complete tasks due to childcare issues is a form of discrimination.
5. People start interacting with you differently
When male colleagues or superiors cut off your talking points regularly, but don’t do the same to your male counterparts, gender issues may be at work.
However, it is important to remember that both sexes have different conversational styles. Women tend to be more collaborative by sharing experiences and asking questions, while men tend to give information rather than ask questions.
Indeed, laws and company policies don’t stop people from acting on biases. But that doesn't mean that you can't do something about it.
Always speak up when you feel as if you're not being treated with the respect that you deserve. Watch out for the signs of subtle discrimination in the workplace so they may be addressed promptly.
Suzanne Kleinberg is a career coach who has provided consulting services to corporations, not-for-profit organizations, and individual clients, and is the author of Employee Rights & Employer Wrongs.