April 3, 2020

Recognizing that Coronavirus has indefinitely changed our relationship to work, we wanted to share this EEOC document to give you insight into what companies can and cannot legally do during a pandemic. For example, employers can take employee body temperature and even rescind job offers if symptoms of COVID-19 are present.

In today’s story a woman that was previously overlooked for a promotion in a male-dominated department is finally offered the job, only to be met with hostility from the rest of the team. Anna and I discuss this deceivingly simple story at length with Emily Grove, an employment attorney, on the podcast. If you were that manager, would you seek help from senior management? And what would you do with your rebellious team?

I hired into a male-dominated department as a very underqualified female, which set me up for disaster. I worked my hardest and made a name for myself. Everyone knew I was willing to work hard and learn and I gained a lot of respect.

When the manager stepped down, they hired a male to replace him.  One arguably less qualified than me. When he didn't work out after a year, they fired him and promoted me. While I was happy to be recognized, I had a lot of clapback from other employees who didn't think a woman was qualified for the position. As such, they started to sabotage me and purposefully try to undermine me.

When I approached management, they didn't believe me, and I decided that if I didn't have their trust and faith and cooperation, I wasn't going to make it as manager. It was a hard enough position, and one where I was disadvantaged. I really needed all the people on my side that I could get.

TL;DL (Too Long; Didn't Listen)

Did you pick up on this?  Emily points out that while talking about pay and promotions at work is protected by law, our culture has adopted a suppressive narrative with practical consequences.

This law recognizes that employers are more powerful when they work together, and unity is a tool for change.
Listen at 4:48