I’ve been on a bullying task force, and the topics of discussion have included adult bullying, and bullying in the workplace. We realized that bullying overlaps greatly with sexual misconduct in the workplace. But it’s often treated as something different. I’m a guy, and I have faced bullying in the workplace. I know it’s not the same thing. But we need to recognize that it’s not just women who are subject to mistreatment in the workplace. I think that there is a cultural assumption that women need protection and men don’t. But I’ve witnessed men being abused, insulted, pushed around. And it’s not always men that are doing it. It’s often about power and dominance. And sometimes it’s simply about people who have zero control over their anger, or sometimes it’s about passive aggressiveness. It’s not just women who experience hostile work environments.
Jack had been promoted in the old days - he had made it to Senior Manager. And was well respected in a very old fashioned male dominated company - by the guys - until the technology finally went over his head.
But this was a company where “white guy” doesn’t begin to cover the people occupying the offices (lots of them were actually middle aged white guys). I’m trying to think of a female manager…I can’t…
Yep, sexual harassment is a form of bullying. So is a lot of racism/ableism/homophobia. The thing that makes sexual harassment and the -isms different than white guy on white guy bullying is the legally protected class part of it. Which isn’t necessarily fair and needs to be addressed - people should get treated with respect - even old white guys. That respect doesn’t come at the expense of someone else’s respect - which can sometimes be the issue.
I’ve read all the posts before adding my own comment - it is really hard to know what to say here. At least this forum seems balanced - in the frenzied media that can’t wait to find yet another harasser to expose, one would think men harassing women was almost all that went on in the workplace. Is it possible to really know what anyone really thinks? Many people say the correct things but beneath harbor very different ideas. For some, behavior is enough to tell where their mind is at. Just for the record, I’ve had some pretty vicious female bosses and coworkers so the idea that majority women workplaces (as in the non profit posters above) is some kind of nirvana is hard for me to believe. And perhaps the women I work with are older, but more than a few seem to fit the stereotype of being catty and emotional. I guess my final thought would be so many things in life are not what we think they are or what they appear to be. I for one feel less strong in my ethics and values even to be pulled into the fray by commenting here. (This is not disrespect to other posting but refers only to me being manipulated by the media.)
Nirvana? Haha, heavens no. My only claim is that it seems I’m less likely to encounter sexism there, even in cases where men are in charge, because most men who go into social work are feminists. Believe me, I’ve got stories about bad bosses same as anyone else.
But for the most part I’ve been happy. That’s particularly the case at my current job. I think there are some petty politics at work but I manage to stay out of it.
I’m having a hard time relating to this thread without understanding what “Jack” did? Can the OP provide some examples?