women in the workplace

I was just wondering if any women here have experienced some form of discrimination based on your gender. In my last position, I was routinely treated like a little girl. I had a tough time even getting the position at first, and my manager even chuckled at me during my interview. It was more of a lower level job, but I wanted it to escape the rude, mean customers. I was so burnt out after working with retail jerk customers for like 8 years.....I just wanted to work in "the back." Well, I ended up getting the job because no one else applied, and those who did failed the backround check and/or drug test. Even after I got the job, the managers told my co-workers that I might only be back there temporarily. They never said that to me, and I never said I didn't think I could handle it. In fact, when they asked if I could handle it, I confidently replied, "Yes, sir!" When I started driving the forklift, the men would always make sexist comments like, "Oh watch out for her..." I was a better driver than them because I don't have that macho ego where I have to drive fast and furious to look cool. I wasn't too slow either, just responsible. After working this position for almost a year, I applied for about 3 full time jobs in the back, and was passed up for all of them. They hired men who had recently been re-hired. Before, there was a policy that required you to be in a position for at least 6 months before you could interview for another job, but somehow that policy didn't apply to them. Supposedly corporate had changed it. I was waiting and holding out for full time, but then after they hired those guys, I just gave up, and quit. I had worked with the company and been a "team player" since 2005, and I had PROVEN that I could perform the job that was actually more difficult that the full time jobs I applied for. When I quit, I sent my manager a resignation letter stating how I believe I was treated unfairly. Right before I quit, they fired 1/2 the crew for safety violations, and I had to meet with HR and the manager to make sure I was following the safety rules. I explained that I often felt like I wasn't taken seriously because I'm a woman working unsupervised with men. HR just brushed me off, and said that she's a woman who oversees over 100 employees, mostly men. Well, yeah, duh, they have to listen to you, you're a boss. Why are HR people so UNhelpful? They make things worse, I swear. Then, you tell them something, and practically beg them not to tell anyone, but they go ahead and do it anyway. Plus, you get a new HR like every year. You just can't trust them. I was NEVER trying to get all feminist on anyone, I just wanted to work in a particular dept., and thought I'd paid my dues......but I don't know. Now, I've applied for a job with a staffing place that is just like the full time jobs I tried to get at my old employer. I highly doubt they will even consider me, even though I have the experience, and aptitude to learn more. I was used to lifting 50 lbs. regularly. Why do people think women are soooooo delicate and weak? I really think I worked better than the guys. They were soooo lazy. I seriously feel discouraged because I'm a women. It's not THAT crazy of me to go after this type of work. I was able to do it before. Then, I feel guilty because there is probably some guy out there who has a family to support who needs the job more than me. And they'll probably give it to him and fully train him simply because he is a man. It seems employers have more confidence in the men, and still after all these years, want women to hold the office/receptionist/ cashier jobs. We still have to conform to a gender based stereotype?

Can't say I've ever really had an issue working with men. I have worked in male dominated environments (me and hundreds of men) for almost 17 years. Once I proved I was there to work and be taken seriously I have always been promoted and moved up the ranks. I was a US Marine helicopter mechanic when I started and was the only woman in a unit of over 200 men. It was a challenge but it just made me stronger. I have excelled in the male dominated world while remaining feminine and strong in my own right.

insecurity

yes, I've had a slew of incidents over the years. And the men get the better title and higher paygrade for doing exactly the same thing. It's absolutely ridiculous but I just am at the point to where it's not worth putting my energy into it.

I'll let the youngsters duke it out, go to HR, deal with risk management, lawsuits, nightmares, etc. And I'll vote. Hopefully, I will see a difference in my lifetime.

My own boss said to me, "Don't you wish you were a man". Yep. *sigh*

I have had a number of incidents with men and working over the years. I've also had some gender-neutral incidents that were similar to the ones you described.

The closest example I have to what you talked about is a time when I was working at a grocery store and an opening in a more desirable department opened up. We were union, I paid union dues, and our rules said those with the most seniority should have first dibs on position changes, should they want to. I had been working there for ~4 years, and I hated the department I currently worked in. Although I was good at it, I resented the amount of work that got dumped on me by other people not doing the things they were supposed to.

My boss tried to slip another girl quietly into the department ahead of me, who had been there for less than a year. I went and confronted him, assertively, about it, and he said he couldn't undo it because he had already "promised" this girl she could have the transfer. I said he needed to un-promise her before I took it to our union rep. He ended up moving both of us to the department, to save face with both parties - and it resulted it a very dramatic cut in hours for both of us. So needless to say, I was very upset about that.

I think some companies - especially for-profit businesses - will always try to do what is best for the business at the cost of what is best for the employees. Which is a real shame, because I think what is best for the business is having good employees who are satisfied with their jobs and therefore willing to put in the extra work to make the company succeed.

At the same job, I had a number of problems with gender over the years as well... I had one boss who kept making inappropriate sexual comments about me and my boyfriend, who he knew about because my boyfriend would sometimes drop me off at work and say hello. I had another coworker who made sexually inappropriate comments about a girl coworker/friend of mine, that eventually resulted in him being fired, but not before we had endured several weeks of a hostile work environment. Boys also tended to be the only ones promoted to certain departments, such as stocking shelves or working overnights - two things I would have loved to do, since the hours were better, they got paid more, and the work was cleaner and easier.

However, I have been very fortunate in other jobs to be treated like an equal. In several of my jobs, I have provided social services to adolescent females, so they HAD to have women workers. They were also not-for-profit jobs, so they weren't worried about doing what was best for the company, just for the clients. And they understood that the key to helping the clients was to have competent case workers and to keep us healthy and taking care of ourselves.

Keep your chin up. Hopefully there will be something out there for you where you will fit in perfectly, love your job, and get the respect you deserve.

Oh my Gooood! I got the job I never thought that I would. I scored the best on the forklift test I had to take.....almost perfectly....they said few people even pass. I'm telling you, women really do need to have A LOT more faith in their abilities. THAT and only that was my ONLY obstacle. ME, I was not on my own side....until yesterday when I thought to myself, "Wait, I'm totally qualified, why wouldn't they consider me??!!!" I got the training at my old crap job, and this is what helped me land the job today. I HAD to push my way into my previous position, and practically beg my managers to train me to use the forklift (even though they always pushed the guys under them to get trained as fast as possible.) The benefit was that after they finally trained me, they did end up training other women who expressed interest as well. I'm also quite feminine, and thought I would look out of place doing that type of work, but I got to a point where I just didn't care anymore. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do, period.
Insecurity, I think that is the coolest freakin' thing in the world that you are a USMC helicopter mechanic. I also dabble in auto mechanic stuff......mainly because I've always been too poor to afford getting ripped off by auto shops. I am so proud to be a woman right now, and the best part of this job is that I will be working with older women.....I think I will fit in perfectly with them. I'm not one of those extreme feminists......all I want is FAIRNESS for EVERYONE......even animals. I cannot stand injustice, and some people taking advantage of those they THINK they can push around. I'm also kinda shy, but I gotta say it wasn't even THAT difficult to start standing up for my myself. It was/is gradual, and takes some practice.I also don't have a whole lot of friends or family for support......so I'm just saying this is proof that you really HAVE to rely on yourself. You are the only one you can trust until someone else proves they're reliable, and even then.....you never know. I think us women have come a long way in the last 100 years or so, and we didn't even have to be aggressive about it. How do you like that??? We need a female president now. The men had their chance........where has it gotten us? I'm not undermining men either though. I truly think that a GREAT man knows when to step aside to allow for someone else (male or female) to shine.