# sexism.  workplace. clueless coworkers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 15, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769 "2015-04-15T19:59:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/21 "2015-05-13T00:41:20Z")

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> [@marshmallow](#):
>
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et_c-zvjeLU) example

Brilliant execution!

(By the way, the whole FHRITP thing is the male verbal equivalent of photo-bombing. As you can tell from this example, it’s typically not directed at the reporter herself)

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/22 "2015-05-13T01:31:28Z")

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> [@mischievous](#):
>
> Huh. I just read that in the voice of my brother-in-law, because I think I’ve heard him give that rant, more or less word-for-word. To be fair, he spent a number of years in a not-for-profit that was specifically training underprivileged young’uns in software development and appropriate workplace behavior, so some level of learning curve was expected.

Part of the joy of working in a call center is that for a large number of new-hires this is their first job except for fast food. They pick up talking to customers quickly, but concepts like indoor voices, no profanity, and no discussion of ones sex or party life take longer. Most of them do well and, frankly, I’m proud of them for their fast progress. Now if they’d just teach the old retreads some of that…

As an example of someone I hope can get Appropriate Work Topics down is this 20-ish woman who looks like a taller Tiffani Amber Thiessen with long white-blonde hair and a pneumatic figure. I was sitting with one of her immediate co-workers and the two got to talking about dressing for the suddenly-warm weather. The Kelly Kapowski Klone said she had planned to wear a sundress and get dolled up but her boyfriend “had to show me how much he loves me,” and afterwards, being all hot and sweaty, she just threw on whatever was handy. After she left I said, “That was more than I needed to know,” and the friend said, “I was going to mention that.” I’m an old guy who is always scouting the new talent, but unlike some of my bros there I’m looking for _work_ talent because one of them is retiring and another is moving. Since I don’t work with her and don’t know more about her, she put herself in the “not this year” category until I have more data.

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**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/23 "2015-05-13T05:15:18Z")

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> [@Stringbean](#):
>
> Brilliant execution!
> 
> (By the way, the whole FHRITP thing is the male verbal equivalent of photo-bombing. As you can tell from this example, it’s typically not directed at the reporter herself)

Not quite sure if you think that excuses it, or makes the consequence faced by the former Hydro One employee somehow inappropriate. Could you clarify, please?

Thanks ever so much.

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/24 "2015-05-13T10:15:42Z")

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> [@Emiliana](#):
>
> I love that rant too. It’s a polyamorous rant.

Room for one more in the bed? Because

> [@](#):
>
> it seems its actually more cost-effective to render you down for the 89 cents worth of chemicals than it is to go to the trouble of educating you

is a thing of beauty. I want to cross-stitch that onto a throw pillow.

> [@velomont](#):
>
> He works (or worked) for Hydro One, the hydro provider for Ontario, which fired him a few hours ago, from his $106,510.50 a year job (this is what happens when 12 year olds get paid $100k per year :)).

I tend to waffle back and forth as to whether I agree with this approach. In a more lenient mode I think I would have given the guy a Stern Talking To involving a requirement to give a public apology and a Final Warning that if he so much as looked at a woman cross-eyed in future he’d be kicked out of the building immediately without the benefit of being allowed to take the elevator to the ground floor first.

On less forgiving days I agree with the firing on the grounds that it pays to Make An Example of such people to keep others (including those in other companies) from doing it.

On really bad days, well…the whole “chemical rendering” option is still on the table…

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**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/25 "2015-05-13T12:43:05Z")

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I must admit that I am not quite as enamored of this rant as some others here seem to be. To be honest, the way in which it was written made it a bit hard for me to follow. Possibly I have not had sufficient caffeine yet.

My take at this point is that there are some immature doofi originating from the IT dept. who have no experience with women and get a kick out of going to Hooters. And they’re not supposed to use the word “Hooters”? I know that can’t be right.

They also referred to the , um, developer(?) or some such as “the new girl”. So far I’m not getting a sense of outrage, though I admit they do sound thick.

If the OP or anyone else could give me the Reader’s Digest version I might be able to jump on the Indignation Train but as it stands I find the opening rant to be more style than substance.

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**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/26 "2015-05-13T14:00:35Z")

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> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> I must admit that I am not quite as enamored of this rant as some others here seem to be. To be honest, the way in which it was written made it a bit hard for me to follow. Possibly I have not had sufficient caffeine yet.

Caffeine helps, but the rant is sort of an acquired taste.

> [@](#):
>
> My take at this point is that there are some immature doofi originating from the IT dept.

A PM, actually. At this company, that’s more the business side.

> [@](#):
>
> who have no experience with women and get a kick out of going to Hooters. And they’re not supposed to use the word “Hooters”? I know that can’t be right.

No. Getting a kick out of going to Hooters is…whatever. Going and asking each of your coworkers and giggling nervously is obnoxious and annoying. The “aren’t I being naughty lets go to HOOTERS HOOTERS do you like HOOTERS hee hee HOOTERS” is a thing you have either experienced, or haven’t. It is a different thing from even suggesting to a couple of coworkers you go for wings at the closest place.

> [@](#):
>
> They also referred to the , um, developer(?) or some such as “the new girl”. So far I’m not getting a sense of outrage, though I admit they do sound thick.
> 
> If the OP or anyone else could give me the Reader’s Digest version I might be able to jump on the Indignation Train but as it stands I find the opening rant to be more style than substance.

The developer (as in, a software developer) suggested that the new team member (who is, in every way, just a guy) is going to have problems dealing with the pressures of the team, and so he’s a “girl”.

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**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/27 "2015-05-13T15:27:03Z")

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> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> I tend to waffle back and forth as to whether I agree with this approach. In a more lenient mode I think I would have given the guy a Stern Talking To involving a requirement to give a public apology and a Final Warning that if he so much as looked at a woman cross-eyed in future he’d be kicked out of the building immediately without the benefit of being allowed to take the elevator to the ground floor first.
> 
> On less forgiving days I agree with the firing on the grounds that it pays to Make An Example of such people to keep others (including those in other companies) from doing it.

I sort of agree (speaking of waffling) because I think that we’ve all done really stupid, immature things in our pasts. Fortunately when my generation did them personal computers were just appearing and there was no web and no social media, so we could do our dumb things and they would be lost in the mists of time.

But now, there is a “stupidity multiplier” issue as you have to be stupid to do stupid things and you have to be even more stupid, at that moment, to do them in a time and environment in which it will likely be recording and circulated. So even if he’s not fired, I don’t think that his female co-workers would be high-fiving him for being such a cool prank-meister. And once the identity of his employer is known publicly, I don’t think that they have a choice if they don’t want to be judged as tolerant of bad or really stupid behaviour. He may not normally be the arrogant jerk that he appeared to be at that moment but sadly, it doesn’t pay to do really, really dumb things on TV.

Also, if broadcasters have to start pulling their female reporters because of this, that’s not exactly good for their careers either.

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**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/28 "2015-05-13T16:16:58Z")

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> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> It amazes me and disgusts me how long we’ve spent putting women in the corner. That is half the world’s brains! How many amazing things did we miss out on because women’s brains weren’t trained, weren’t educated?

Women are stupid as shit though

(joke!!!)

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**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/29 "2015-05-13T16:19:10Z")

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> [@WOOKINPANUB](#):
>
> My take at this point is that there are some immature doofi originating from the IT dept. who have no experience with women and get a kick out of going to Hooters. And they’re not supposed to use the word “Hooters”? I know that can’t be right.
> 
> They also referred to the , um, developer(?) or some such as “the new girl”. So far I’m not getting a sense of outrage, though I admit they do sound thick.

Grown men that giggles when they say slighly naughty words should be spanked and sent to bed without supper.

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/30 "2015-05-13T16:38:44Z")

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Cocktail hour in your hemisphere, **Rune**?

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**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/31 "2015-05-13T17:28:37Z")

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Seems to me a simple closed door meeting saying “I know you’re new here, but **You’re new here** and you need to learn real fast that the real world is not a high school boys locker room. Grow the fuck up, stop being a jerk, stop showing us how immature you are, and start being an adult now. Or you won’t be here or anywhere else for very long, because no one wants to put up with that crap in a corporate setting. There. We’re done here. Go back to your desk and figure it out.”

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**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/32 "2015-05-13T17:42:09Z")

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> [@Chimera](#):
>
> Seems to me a simple closed door meeting saying “I know you’re new here, but **You’re new here** and you need to learn real fast that the real world is not a high school boys locker room. Grow the fuck up, stop being a jerk, stop showing us how immature you are, and start being an adult now. Or you won’t be here or anywhere else for very long, because no one wants to put up with that crap in a corporate setting. There. We’re done here. Go back to your desk and figure it out.”

To help said employee figure it out, one could show him Rune’s posts as examples of behavior NOT to emulate.

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**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/33 "2015-05-13T20:42:46Z")

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> [@bashere](#):
>
> Now, as it happens, that developer is vastly better and more qualified than you will ever hope to be, especially since your life is increasingly likely to be cut short in a tragic and inexplicable paper shredding incident that will occur at a time when I am engaged in activity known as “making sure I have an air-tight alibi”.

Say, if you’re not using this, do you mind if I, uh, _borrow_ it for a while?

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/34 "2015-05-13T21:02:53Z")

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> [@velomont](#):
>
> He works (or worked) for Hydro One, the hydro provider for Ontario, which fired him a few hours ago, from his $106,510.50 a year job (this is what happens when 12 year olds get paid $100k per year :)).

It does feel good, but it’s interesting that behavior off the job at a soccer game violates their Code of Conduct. I wonder how far that extends?

The closest I can find is treating customers courteously, respectfully and professionally, **in interactions with customers**.

[PDF] [http://www.hydroone.com/Careers/Documents/Code\_of\_Business\_Conduct.pdf](http://www.hydroone.com/Careers/Documents/Code_of_Business_Conduct.pdf)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/35 "2015-05-13T21:10:28Z")

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> [@bashere](#):
>
> Now, as it happens, that developer is vastly better and more qualified than you will ever hope to be, especially since your life is increasingly likely to be cut short in a tragic and inexplicable paper shredding incident that will occur at a time when I am engaged in activity known as “making sure I have an air-tight alibi”.  
> …  
> Now I have to do something about it, and apparently there are “laws” “preventing” me from “cutting up your body and using it for fish bait”

Love it!

I’ve got one of those “joke around with something you know offends **gigi** , till **gigi** explodes and looks like the asshole” types here. It sucks.

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**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/36 "2015-05-13T22:38:20Z")

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> [@kaylasdad99](#):
>
> Not quite sure if you think that excuses it, or makes the consequence faced by the former Hydro One employee somehow inappropriate. Could you clarify, please?
> 
> Thanks ever so much.

I’ve thought a lot of about it, and I’ve come to believe that his employer has the right to act within the law, including termination if allowable.

But I think the outrage is overblown. This is, for the most part, harmless pranking.

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/37 "2015-05-13T22:57:08Z")

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He was recognized and brought shame upon his company. He’s lucky he wasn’t given a pistol and an empty room and a few minutes to reflect on his sins.

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**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/38 "2015-05-13T22:57:42Z")

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> [@velomont](#):
>
> So today, in Toronto, some guys were heckling a female reporter with the old “Fuck her right in the pussy” BS. She confronted them and challenged them verbally and, not surprisingly, they had nothing viable to say because they were too cool. So one of them was identified thanks to the videos going viral. He works (or worked) for Hydro One, the hydro provider for Ontario, which fired him a few hours ago, from his $106,510.50 a year job (this is what happens when 12 year olds get paid $100k per year :)).  
> [Hydro One employee fired after FHRITP heckling of CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt | CBC News](http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/hydro-one-employee-fired-after-yelling-fhritp-at-citynews-reporter-shauna-hunt-1.3070948); and [Hydro One firing employee involved in vulgar incident at Toronto FC game](http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2015/05/12/fhritp-could-be-a-crime-say-toronto-police.html)  
> To this I say - outstanding! And apparently there is an online hunt to identify the two others involved, though it seems that one of them and his workplace have been identified as well.

Do people not think it’s about time to remove the double standard when it comes to this sort of dumb shit though ?

Sharon Osbourne didn’t get canned for mocking, and leading the laughter when it came to male castration, even when she was forced to apologize about it she couldn’t do that without laughing. Still kept her job.

Women have it so easy.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/39 "2015-05-13T23:51:19Z")

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> [@dropzone](#):
>
> He was recognized and brought shame upon his company. He’s lucky he wasn’t given a pistol and an empty room and a few minutes to reflect on his sins.

I don’t really see how his company has anything to do with it, other than the fact that the internet lynch mob publicized what company he worked for and his salary (how they got this information I don’t know).

It wasn’t enough to publicize who he was; the mob went for his job too. It’s a little excessive for a prank, in my opinion.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bashere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexism-workplace-clueless-coworkers/717769/40 "2015-05-14T01:07:38Z")

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> [@Stringbean](#):
>
> other than the fact that the internet lynch mob publicized what company he worked for and his salary (how they got this information I don’t know).

HydroOne is owned by the province, so he sort of works for the government. Ontario has a Sunshine List - a list of people who work for the government and make over $100,000 a year. It’s a name-and-shame thing.

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