Tuesday, July 19, 2011

My male coworkers are treated more leniently and given more opportunities - should I say something?

I work in a very male-dominated field, which I have learn to accept to a certain degree in my years of working. However, the situation in my office has become particularly challenging to deal with, and I don't know if I can go much longer with just keeping quiet and going along day-to-day as if it isn't happening. My female coworkers feel the same way I do. We are all well-educated, hard-working and intelligent - just as much so as our male colleagues (and honestly more so in many cases). However, there's a 'buddy' system going on with the guys in the office. Our boss is 'buddies' with the guys so they get away with whatever - coming in consistently late, even sometimes two hours late, without having to answer for it or even being scolded about it. One of our male coworkers misbehaved last week and flipped another colleague (who is superior to him) off. Yet nothing was done about it. If the females in the office would ever dare to be late or misbehave in this manor, we would be penalized or even lose our jobs. Furthermore, I know for a fact that I have been given less opportunities than a guy on my same level, even though I work much harder and he slacks off all the time. Even guys beneath me are given more encouragement and opportunities to advance - and are treated with a lot of leniency as well, not expected to do as much work, etc. A female coworker that recently had a baby was provided with no paid maternity leave - yet they paid one of my male colleagues salary when he was gone for two months travelling. Its just so upsetting, but I don't know how to deal with it. Should I try to talk to my boss or should I just try to find another job?

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