Lindy Korn, BridgeTower Media Newswires
Some male executives are reacting to the spotlight placed on sexual misconduct in the workplace by trying to avoid interacting with female co-workers, both peers and subordinates.
Last year a survey conducted by Working Mother Research Institute and the ABA Journal found that 56 percent of men believed that a heightened perception of improper behavior may surround one-on-one mentoring and sponsorship relationships.
But by trying to avoid claims of sexual harassment, male managers may be setting themselves up for claims of sex discrimination, by avoiding women. In many high-paid sales positions, supervisors must ride with subordinates on calls to mentor them; if a male supervisor chooses not to mentor a female subordinate, she may be a target of sex discrimination.
Promotions and job performance reviews are connected to workplace experiences and connections. Isolating women from mentoring situations denies them access to the key players which can affect their ability to attain favorable assignments and ultimately be promoted because they remain on the outside.
The isolation effect of working with women will also affect diversity in the leadership ranks. The lack of mentoring women will have a negative effect on networking opportunities and stunt growth for leadership.
The thorny issue of concern for those women being ostracized is how to complain? It is important to document the avoidance that a woman is experiencing and to address it with the manager who is practicing avoidance. Stopping this at the earliest stage possible is to everyone’s advantage. There may also be safety in numbers! Likely a pattern will appear that should be described in an effort to prevent sex discrimination.
Human resource professionals also need to be on high alert for complaints or signs that male managers are frightened and disconnecting from female staff. These events may present themselves in subtle ways. Training for managers and high-level executives on avoidance of female workers due to fears of sexual harassment complaints should be held, as prevention is key.
When promotions are made or bonuses determined, human resource managers may hear comments or see patterns resulting from avoiding female workers. It may also be a hint that sexual harassment in the workforce is more prevalent than once believed.
If a male manager has been disciplined for sexual harassment, he should be told not to practice avoidance of women that he manages as that would also be discriminatory.
It may be a perfect time to hold a training session for managers and high-level executives and have a psychologist describe the effect of being accused of sexual harassment and the typical responses that result which can result in avoidance or retaliation. Therapy may also be a solution to keep the workplace healthy.
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Lindy Korn practices at The Law Office of Lindy Korn and can be reached at lkorn@lkorn-law.com, (716) 856-KORN (5676) or www.lindykorn.com.
