LEGAL WRITES: DANA BROOKS

From the desk of

Dana Brooks

DANA@FASIGBROOKS.COM

GIRL, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE OFFICE…

While women are reaching new heights in their careers, the fight for equity and equality are far from over. I’m often asked what should women do if they are subjected to sexism at work or given inappropriate assignments because of their gender? What kind of documentation should they be keeping to protect themselves against harassment? What about when that harassment comes from someone of the same gender?

If women are experiencing sexism at work or given lesser responsibilities it’s important that they don’t hide it. I know it can be uncomfortable to raise objections. You don’t want to be the girl who can’t take a joke. But if you genuinely believe this would not be happening to you but for the fact that you’re a woman, you need to address it. If you’re commonly referred to as “Blondie” by your team leader but no one else is given an unrequested nickname pertaining to their gender or physical appearance, it’s right to feel singled out. Many times this is simply ignorance and people welcome the opportunity to learn and grow.

If you feel you’re being given assignments below your level or are missing out on opportunities because of your gender, address it with leadership. Point out that you have the experience or education, or simply the desire to take on more significant tasks and roles and you want to be given a shot. Again, a lot of what holds us back is the presumptions about us that we allow to go unchecked. And it doesn’t matter the gender of the harasser. Harassment and sexism are about power and how those who have it, use it.

Document every instance of unfair treatment and your response to it. This is typically in emails or memos, but it could be comments made in social gatherings or around the office water cooler. If your attempts to address the unfair treatment don’t result in a change in culture or behavior, you’ll have what you need to go to HR and eventually a lawyer.

Finally, keep a praise folder. Keep every memo, letter, email, or text of praise you receive. When you’re recognized for something exceptional, keep it in a file. When you get performance evaluations, add that to your praise folder. I cannot tell you how many times it has benefitted me or my clients to have held on to all the documentation of how great we were and what awesome work we were doing when someone precipitously changed their assessment of us. It’s hard to suddenly call you a bad worker, stupid, or crazy when they’ve been singing your praises for years. You may think this could never happen, but believe me, people change.

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