Regardless of where you work, you expect your manager, colleagues and others to treat you with respect. You also probably think your hard work is likely to lead to career advancements. Unfortunately, though, if you face workplace sex-based discrimination, you may have trouble succeeding.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits sex discrimination in employment. Nonetheless, at jobsites across the United States, many women experience bias, harassment or discrimination every day. While gender discrimination in the workplace comes in many different forms, it tends to manifest itself initially in just a few ways. Here are four of them:
1. Inappropriate interview questions
Landing an interview for your dream job is something to celebrate. Still, if interviewers ask inappropriate questions during the screening process, you may feel devalued. Any question or remark that does not involve your capabilities, experience, education or skill should be off-limits.
2. Undercut authority
If you have a leadership position, you expect your team members to do what you ask. Unfortunately, both superiors and subordinates regularly try to undercut female managers’ leadership authority. If your colleagues treat male bosses with respect while diminishing your position, you may be the victim of workplace sex discrimination.
3. Shrinking responsibilities
You can likely handle a variety of job-related tasks. If your employer engages in illegal workplace discrimination, though, you may notice your responsibilities begin to shrink. While there are legitimate reasons to limit an employee’s job duties, your manager should not do so simply because you are a woman.
4. Unrealistic expectations
Finally, you may have noticed that no matter how hard you work, you cannot please your boss. If you face unrealistic expectations, gender discrimination may be to blame. Of course, if your boss uses a different standard to measure your success as you age, you may be dealing with both sex discrimination and age discrimination.
You should not have to suffer the personal, financial or professional consequences of gender discrimination or harassment in the workplace. By understanding the common ways improper behavior happens, you can better strategize for combatting discrimination at your place of employment.