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Subject:Re: Workplace Discrimination From:Rick Stein <thunder -at- IDIR -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 19 Mar 1996 08:40:40 -0600
Tim Altom's query about discrimination in the workplace was quite timely.
Just yesterday I was thinking about a contract I didn't get recently. I'm
sure there were good reasons why I didn't get it, but I kept coming back to
one thing that happened in the interview with the client. After he'd seen
my writing samples, talked about what needed to be done, talked about my
skills, etc., he leaned across and said "Now look. This is a very important
project. You'll have to be completely responsible for getting this done.
No missed deadlines. I don't care what your excuse is, whether you have
sick kids or whatever. I have to know that you can get this done. Do you
understand?"
I was quite surprised. I wouldn't take a job I didn't think I could follow
through on. Who would? I hadn't mentioned anything about my family,
although I do wear a wedding ring. Would he have said this to a man? I
can't imagine it. So now I'm wondering if I didn't get the job because I'm
a woman and he thinks women are unreliable.
Have any of you men ever been told something like this?
(I know this is a bit off topic for the list so if you'd rather follow up
privately that's OK with me.)
Mary Howe
Thunder Works, Inc.
thunder -at- idir -dot- net
