By
Simon Underwood
June 23, 2017
Our HR Assistant, Simon Underwood, has a wide range of work experience from male dominated businesses to HR180, where the team is predominantly female, so who better to look into the matter of reverse sexism in the workplace – reverse sexism defined in this case where men are the object of sexist remarks. It can be a hidden problem, so let’s take a look at what it is and how we might tackle it.
It does exist, it can be offensive and most of all it’s not fair! I realise that I’m ranting like Rachel shouting at Ross in Friends the one that ends ‘It’s not that common, it doesn’t happen to every guy and it is a big deal!’ (More on this later!)
The following terms or phrases can be heard in many workplaces across the land:
But flip these statements on their heads (relate them to female staff) and are we still comfortable using them?
I have worked in female and male dominated environments over the years and see the benefits and disadvantages of both. In general I would say that when it comes to sexual discrimination, both environments are as bad as each other. However, there are some social differences: if a female colleague calls a male junior colleague a pet name it’s considered endearing and when the roles are reversed it’s considered creepy.
The following examples apply equally to men, women or non gender specific people.
What are some of the examples of discrimination in the workplace?
How can I prevent discrimination in the workplace?
To see Rachel’s rant take a look at this clip from The One with The Jellyfish – Friends S4 E1 (this link takes you outside HR180 world, just so you know!) If you think a chat with an HR180 superhero might help get you on the right track for any people management issue, book a free assessment of your needs with one of our highly experienced HR Partners. See the contact details below and please do get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
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