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Topic: Sexist Christmas Party Brought Me Down

Chubbles
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11268

posted 09 December 2005 11:46 PM

We had the office XMas party and I was appalled at what passes for humour. We had lame skits followed by a power point presentation which included male managers' faces pasted onto scantily clad female bodies. I'm new and didn't want to make a scene but I did end up leaving early. The sexism was blatant. How could I be the only one who noticed? There were over 50 of us there.

From: Canada | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

emerald
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11307

posted 10 December 2005 04:25 AM

That's ridiculous. It seems like all humor today is perverted and aimed directly at women. How often do you see men unclothed, exposed and vulnerable? It's a tired double standard that I am utterly disgusted with.

From: murderous modesto, california. enough said. | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

Chubbles
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11268

posted 10 December 2005 11:38 AM

Thanks, emerald. I certainly thought less of the firm afterwards.

From: Canada | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

Crippled_Newsie
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7024

posted 10 December 2005 12:50 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Chubbles:
Thanks, emerald. I certainly thought less of the firm afterwards.

When and if you leave the place, be sure to remember to mention the party in the exit interview. HR people are often totally surprised at why people actually do leave. Too bad so few people actually tell the truth in those interviews.

[ 10 December 2005: Message edited by: Tape_342 ]

From: It's all about the thumpa thumpa. | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

Chubbles
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11268

posted 10 December 2005 01:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Tape_342:
When and if you leave the place, be sure to remember to mention the party in the exit interview.

I'll make a point of it. You're right about ex-employees not telling the truth. There's one goober there who's been through a new secretary roughly every couple of months and the HR person told me "Yes, it's the strangest thing. Suzy hurt her back. Linda's family moved out of town. Cheryl went back to school ... blah ... blah ...." Well, all the staff know what the problem is: the guy's a goober! But apparently nobody has ever said so to the HR person and so he just keeps going through staff like there's no tomorrow. Honestly, after a dozen secretaries, shouldn't the average person be wondering "Hey, am I an asshole?"

From: Canada | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

MartinArendt
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9723

posted 10 December 2005 01:05 PM

I don't know. I mean, be honest in the exit interview, but in my experience, a lot of HR people are nothing more than figureheads who do payroll and that's about it. At my last job, I just went off at during my exit interview about inappropriate conduct, lack of quality managers, my theories on why the turnover rate was so high...everything! The HR Manager seemed super-sympathetic, and proactive, and excited to change things.

I still have some friends left working at that company, and guess how much actually changed?

From: Toronto | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

Cueball
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4790

posted 10 December 2005 02:35 PM

I read a story a while back in the paper.

Interviewed person said: "So I saw Mung (yes that was really his name) walking down the hall with a shotgun. So I said: 'Hey Mung, where you going with that shotgun?' Mung said matter of factly: "Human Resources."

You can guess what happened next and why I was reading about Mung in the news paper.

From: Out from under the bridge and out for a stroll | Registered: Dec 2003 | IP: Logged

Crippled_Newsie
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7024

posted 10 December 2005 02:51 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MartinArendt:
I still have some friends left working at that company, and guess how much actually changed?

Oh certainly, but it can be satisfying. One job I left, I told the HR guy exactly why pretty much the entire newsroom staff would be gone within the next few months.

Six months later, when I was talking to a friend who was the only colleague remaining, I couldn't resist saying, "oh BTW, tell Mr. HR, I said hi."

From: It's all about the thumpa thumpa. | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

MartinArendt
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9723

posted 10 December 2005 05:09 PM

True...but if people expect real change to come out of the HR department, they might be sadly disappointed.

From: Toronto | Registered: Jun 2005 | IP: Logged

Boarsbreath
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9831

posted 10 December 2005 08:34 PM

Would you buy a frickin dog from something called "pet resources"...?!!

[ 10 December 2005: Message edited by: Boarsbreath ]

From: South Seas, ex Montreal | Registered: Jul 2005 | IP: Logged

The Goddess Selene
recent-rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11455

posted 22 December 2005 11:59 PM

Actually, this may be considered sexual harrassment under your state's labor laws. I'd check up on that if I were you.

God, what were those idiots thinking (well, *not* thinking I guess is more like it). You certainly must be a very diciplined person... I know I woudn't have handled this all as well as you.

In the mean time, who not right a nice, looong anon. letter to them?

From: Delaware | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

arborman
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4372

posted 23 December 2005 03:21 PM

In my management days I once attended a big, annual meeting of all the managers - 22 men, one woman, and another woman manager who missed the first day.

At one point on the first day, someone made a relatively innocuous and extremely positive comment about the woman who was not present - she was very good at her work. One of the senior managers (and, to that point, a close friend of mine) took the opportunity to make a play on words, twisting it into a sexual innuendo (which it had not originally been).

The whole room burst into laughter, with the exception of myself and the only woman who was there. It was disgusting, I felt sick. I wish I could say that I walked out or made a scene, but I didn't, largely because I was intimidated by the event and the people there. I did leave (the company and management as a vocation) a few months later, but in all honesty it wasn't because of that incident (rather a thousands incidents, of which it was one of the more blatant). I've always felt like I let down the 'pro-feminist male' team at that meeting.

From: I'm a solipsist - isn't everyone? | Registered: Aug 2003 | IP: Logged

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