My sexist manager treats the women in my office appallingly. Should we walk out?
Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on workplace, career and leadership in her advice column, Got a Minute? This week: dealing with a misogynist manager, managing out a staff member with mental health issues and a colleague working the system.
Sexist dinosaurs still walk the halls of some offices.Credit: Dionne Gain
We have a new, highly paid COO at work, and he is a misogynist, even to the point where he has called senior female managers into his office as they walk past to make coffee. He constantly speaks to the males over the women, even if the information he wants is not part of their job. Our CEO is not exactly approachable, and it is creating a horrible environment for the women to work in. A lot of us have multiple degrees, and he treats us all with disdain and constantly talks over us in meetings. We do not know how to address this apart from considering all walking off the job for a day. Our HR manager is based overseas and no one can get past his executive assistant to have a private conversation. What else can we do?
Sadly, plenty of dinosaurs still roam the earth, and it sounds like you have one who thinks it’s still 1955. He is treating you and your female colleagues differently because you are women. Not only is that not OK, it is also likely to be in breach of your workplace policies and laws.
Band together with the other women in your office and document what is happening. Then, together, try to speak to your CEO. It is your CEO’s responsibility to ensure you have a workplace where everyone of any colour, gender, sexuality, age etc is treated equally. If your CEO does nothing, document that too, then seek advice from the Sex Discrimination Commission. If you have a whistleblower or ethics hotline, you can also try that.
Walking off the job for a day should be a last resort. Use the formal channels in your business first and if there is no success, seek external advice.
We are a small business and one of our employees has consistently underperformed, with ample opportunities to improve their performance with additional training, mentorship and support. They also have significant mental health issues and while we’ve been supportive throughout their time with both paid and unpaid extended leave, I am concerned once they lose their job they’ll spiral out. What strategies, support services can we offer, or point them to, to minimise the adverse impact of them losing their job?
It sounds like you are balancing that tricky tightrope of putting people first while also trying to run your business. Clearly you do not want to suggest you are letting them go because of their mental health issues (this could well be discrimination if you did, in fact, terminate them for that reason), but you can explain that for anyone losing a job, it will be a distressing time, and you want to support them through that. I would remind them you care about them as a person, not just as one of your employees. I would have referrals for any EAP provider you have ready to go, otherwise details for them to contact a service like Lifeline or Beyond Blue.
Seek legal advice before taking any action, just to be on the safe side. A lawyer who understands all the nuances of this case will be able to guide you through this termination to mitigate any potential risks for your business and can help advise practical ways to support your former employee.
A colleague who lives interstate keeps arranging meetings in another state to coincide with when their football team is playing so they can attend the game. So far, no one in management seems to have noticed, but it’s been going on for a while, and they stay for several days at the company’s expense. I think it’s unfair, am I wrong?
No, you are not wrong, but addressing it will be tricky. It sounds like your colleague knows how to work the system. Perhaps your bosses haven’t noticed, but are you sure? Maybe they have given their OK to the arrangements? I would never suggest silently standing by if someone is flagrantly misusing company funds, and if you think that is the case, then you should raise it through the right channels. My only advice is to consider whether this is a fight you feel you need to take on. Get all your facts clear first.
To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask. You will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited.
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