Saturday, June 9, 2007

On workplace myths

Everytime I read one of Penelope Trunk's articles over on Yahoo Finance, I am both appalled and angry. I'll explain what I mean by that in a moment. Her current article, The Five Biggest Workplace Myths address advice that applies to outdated workplace environments and gives you the reality on these myths. They are:

1.Getting a promotion is good
2.Hide gaps in your work history
3.Sexual harassment law protects you
4.Your first job out of college matters a lot
5.You'll be rewarded if you do a good job

While I didn't really find any of these myths to be groundbreaking as they match my experiences, I am appalled by the fact that some of these are the norm, which is where the anger comes in.

I have had firsthand experience with #3, and yes the law is designed to protect companies, not the person dealing with crap. I had a job, years ago when I was naive and though that the law protected people, where a male co-worker was harassing me. I told someone when it went beyond what I could deal with. They immediately took his side and made things worse for me. After getting a death threat from him and no one caring, I left that job. And yes, I utilized the EEOC and followed the dispute resolution process to the letter. And yes, I attempted to sue them after I felt I was forced to quit. And yes, the law worked in favor of the company.

And I take issue with #5, that you will only be rewarded if you are likable. I don't want someone that is just likable running a company. I want them to be competent as well.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

pretty right...n the laws yeah they are here to protect companies..sometimes i feel more than us...btw #3 never happened to me :)