Dear Sister,
Remember all those times when your work was passed over and credited to the guy with his head up his ass sitting next to you? You were the one, always at your desk at midnight putting the finishing touches on those proposals, and never being noticed. But you didn't give up. You plodded along waiting for that glass ceiling to shatter (or at least show a few cracks.) And now all your waiting has finally paid off. Congratulations - you are finally in a position of power - you've become the woman we all want to be!
Now that you've made it, we'd like to ask you to look around - or down, to be more specific. How are you treating your female employees? Have you learned from your own hard path and tried to help those following in your footsteps? Or do you think it's possible you bought into some of those sexist messages along the way and now practice your own special version of internalized sexism? Maybe you agree with all those people who say 'women just don't measure up' and YOU are the exception that proves the rule.
We are inclined to think that this latter scenario is more likely - at least that's what we've been told. And that's why we're writing to you. One of your employees has contacted us and alerted us to your discriminatory practices. She said you consistently give your women subordinates the short end of the stick - passing on less prestigious assignments, not recommending them for raises and promotions, loading them down with administrative work.
If you believe you have received this letter in error, consider the following:
-- How many male and female employees are under your supervision? Who makes the most money, who does the most work, how are positions in the office divided, and who getsthe promotions and raises?
-- Who's left at the end of the year? What's your turnover rate? Ratio of men to women leaving? When was the last time you conducted exit interviews?
-- Are employees going above you or around you to get clarity about your instructions, address their needs for administrative support or voice their complaints? Why aren't they talking to you? Maybe because you're too busy giving them MORE WORK to hear them?!
We know it's still a sexist world out there, and that it really is lonely at the top. But that's no excuse for perpetuating every insidious, demoralizing, embittering, discriminatory experience you've ever had. Your employee who contacted us certainly feels this way. What other euphemistic ways can we tell you - you suck! It's time you get back in touch with the young ambitious frustrated you and pay attention to what's going on. Of course, we cannot tell you how to fix this - REMEMBER: YOU'RE THE BOSS!
With all due respect,
GuerrillaGirlsBroadBand
(a.k.a. Doyennes Against Paying Your Dues)
DISCLAIMER: All statements, opinions and allegations are those of the original author, your employee. The GuerrillaGirlsBroadBand, Inc., (GGBB) has not investigated, ascertained or otherwise verified the truth or accuracy of any statement, opinion or allegation contained or transmitted herein. GGBB makes no representations regarding the truthfulness of any statement, opinion or allegation contained or transmitted herein. The GGBB website is a public service which is provided for the purpose of raising employer awareness while providing ashield for concerned employees who wish to remain anonymous.