Normally, I'm not a feminist. Yes, I believe in equal rights for all men and women alike, but I don't necessarily think women deserve anything extra. Times are changing, women are becoming more powerful in the work place and the majority of the time it's because they worked for it. In an industry that has always been male dominated, I bow down in respect to those who get there. I'm not gonna lie, if I eventually get work because some hardcore feminist made the government require a certain percentage of work to go to a minority and/or woman, I'll take it. But where I'm at right now...and here's to hoping none of the upper management in this company find this blog...DAMN THIS BOYS CLUB OF A COMPANY.
Shortly after I started here, I realized how much of a 'boys club' it was. It doesn't really bother me as I'm always going to be unaffected. For some reason, our little engineering group stands outside of normal day-to-day production. We even can hide ourselves away from the rest of the office by closing a door. So fine, no big deal. It irks me a little though, to see how the rest of the office is structured. Normally, I just don't say anything and move on with life. If they don't do anything about it, and they can deal with working in that way, more power to them. I just know I couldn't and wouldn't put up with it.
I know where I stand here, and thank god for my boss who has helped to manipulate the misguided perceptions of a certain individual who happens to be head honcho of this joint. I get respect because of what I do, and even then it's because my boss has given credit to where its due. Not that it's that much of a big deal for me to get credit for what I do, but the little credit the does come my way helps to keep my job from morphing into something 'other' in this place. One of my reviews with the president very nearly caused me to quit. Let's just say he tried to "promote" me to being my boss's 'assistant'. He literally said that I would answer his phone calls. Like fucking hell I would. I don't mind doing the extra busy work that needs to get done for my boss, but there's no way anyone is going to get me to do dictation. Luckily, my boss didn't go for it. Not that he outright crossed the man but more like worked around his idea of my job description...
Over the past few days, I've been asked to print off an office organization chart. Basically it says who does what and who manages whom. Boy, it is all over the place. Today, I finally noticed one additional tidbit. A new name. I knew we were hiring a new person for accounting. The financial manager is pregnant and is going to be on maternity leave soon, we recently had someone quit and although we replaced the person who quit there's still too much work for accounting to handle. So there were a few interviews, all of them interviewed by the financial manager because she needed the new hire to be able to help with some of her responsibilities when she goes on maternity leave. I knew they had picked one of the guys, but I just didn't know when he'd be starting. Apparently it won't be for another couple weeks, which would put it about a week or 2 before she goes on maternity leave.
No big deal having a new hire to help out with some managerial duties, right? At least, that has been the assumption around accounting, which for reference, are all women. Well, according to this organization chart, he's placed above her. Now, maybe I don't know the whole story...maybe he was hired to be a financial manager manager...? She's been the financial manager now for longer than I've been here, and finally got her own office a year and a half ago. But I know the reason she's that high up in the food chain is that she knows her shit, and worked for it. (and is still working for it)
I asked about the new hire, when I gave the print back to the person who asked me to print it. She made a circling motion around the accounting bracket saying "yeah, that's going to cause a lot of problems. you didn't see this" shaking her head and covering the names. Taken aback by that comment, I probed further...and basically, no one knows what the new guy was hired for. I can bet you no one is expecting that particular adjustment in the chain of command. And the way things change around here, I'm not sure she will still have her office by the time she comes back from maternity leave.
As previously stated, I'm not normally a feminist...but the way I'm seeing this situation? She has worked her ass off for these guys and they're essentially "demoting" her. For what? Because she's pregnant?! That is such bullshit, not to mention illegal in about a thousand different ways, yet I'm sure they'll find some legal work-around for an excuse. I'm curious to see how they'll pull this one off. It's infuriating, and I'm tempted to forward this chart to the financial manager. Although I may be genetically predisposed for an addiction to drama, I try not to cause it. Who knows, maybe she already knows what's going to happen....
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