Bias, harassment and inequality is a part of our everyday life now. We understand these are deeper problems that will take their own sweet time to get fixed. But gender bias and sexual harassment are not the only issues we (women) face at workplaces. There are a bunch of other things that men say & do that make us really uncomfortable. And this needs to be discussed openly. These issues are often not talked about but they bother us every single time and that leaves an impact. The roots, obviously, lie in the casual attitude and assumptions most organizations & men have.
Because it’s never a big deal (sic), right?
Offices are almost like a second home since we spend most of our (active) time here. Organizations do make a lot of effort to make every employee comfortable & prevent harassment of any form. But there are certain issues that are rarely mentioned.
Men, please take note of these 10 issues that make us uncomfortable, very uncomfortable!
1. We Are Not Here For ‘Kitty Parties’
Most of us at our workplaces are collectively termed as “Gossip Girls” or a “Kitty Party” group. This is not what we want to hear about us at our workplace. We are all professionals who work hard to achieve our goals and build a career. You need to grow up & stop tagging us with such names.
2. We Have An Individual Identity
Some of us share workplaces with our husband, father or some male member of the family. Why are we referred to and introduced as merely the ‘wife’ or ‘daughter’ of Mr. Guy? This toxic patriarchal practice needs to be fixed.
3. Seniors, Stop With The Nicknames for Younger Women
I get that you’re my senior & that gives you a certain leeway (maybe?) but why would you call me your ‘missy’ or ‘sweetie’. You are a professional, sir. Please act like one.
A twitter user says – “I had a boss who addressed emails to me with things like “Hey Missy,” I always wondered if he addressed his male coworkers with “Hey Sport.”
4. Asking ‘Him’ First
While standing with our male colleagues or attending a meeting or sitting in a cafeteria, men tend to direct their “technical” questions to men. Why? Because obviously “he” always knows better.
It’s a common courtesy to maintain the conversation cycle. Next time why don’t you try asking your doubts to your women colleagues who also have the same job? That might help in popping your bubble of assumptions.
5. We Are Not Event/Lunch Planners
Workplaces are becoming a hub for stereotypes. And maybe that is why we are told to plan and organize the lunch or small events besides our designated work. All of this because we are “better at it”. Why not rotate the responsibility among all the employees?
Quoting a twitter user “Organisation give all of the small administrative tasks to women, and large valuable projects to men”
6. Setting The Room Temperature/Creating Another Arctic Pole
Imagine, there is unbearable heat outside and we are sitting in the office in a woollen shawl because of the blasting air conditioner. And meanwhile, our male colleagues are sitting comfortably as if nothing happened. A freezing workplace is not at all an ideal working condition for us.
A recent study says that the temperature of most workplaces is based on a very old formula.
It is designed using the metabolic rates of men.
This not only marks the absence of consideration of women as an employee but also encourages gender discrimination. While you may not work on changing the formula but you sure can maintain an optimal temperature.
7. That Time Of The Month
This five-word phrase has become a tag for categorizing women as ‘cranky’, ‘inefficient’ and ‘emotional’. Many a time, we are stamped with this phrase even if we are irritated by some other issue or problem. Male colleagues often consider it as our excuse to take “an off” from the office. When you don’t know what the issue is, you should not make a generalized statement about it.
8. When Your Voice Becomes Noise
There have been umpteen number of instances when our male colleagues have been unnecessarily loud during a meeting or a regular round-up of the projects. When you become loud, it doesn’t feel like a meeting or discussion. It seems more of an argumentative debate. Understanding your tone is a part of work-place ethic.
9. Going Home Instead Of Attending Weekend Parties
A lot of us prefer going home and relaxing than attending office parties over the weekend. It is totally our call whether we want to go or not. Creating unnecessary pressure is not what we want. It’s either a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.
10. Fewer Women At The Workforce
The ratio of men and women at the workplace have always been uneven. An unsaid majority is formed over the other, giving it an essence of a utilitarian touch. It is not about us vs you. A workplace should have a gender-neutral environment in all aspects.
While there are many serious issues women face at the workplace, these are also key issues that need to be addressed. The workplaces should be sensitized to nip-in-the-bud these kinds of instances.
To provide a safe and gender-neutral work environment, an organization’s employees, managers & directors need to be aware and educated.
Over to you
The issues mentioned above are affirmed by a social experiment. We asked women on LinkedIn & Twitter to share issues they face that aren’t classified as “harassment” but are border-line discrimination & biases.
If you have faced any such instance of subtle bias, share it with us in the comments.
Gender bias at the workplace can be avoided. The solution starts with gender training with Rainmaker. Show employees how to identify subtle bias and encourage those who believe that they are victims of subtle bias to come forward and complain. Some of these may even amount to offences under the PoSH law. Contact us to schedule a training program with us.
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