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‘I'm close to being fired because I'm a woman’: Employee accuses company of gender discrimination
A woman claimed that her company's co-owner doesn’t like women in traditional male roles, which is why she may be fired.
A woman shared a Reddit post claiming that she faced gender discrimination at her workplace. In her post, she expressed that her immediate boss told her that she might get fired because one of the company's co-owners “doesn’t like females” in roles traditionally associated with males.
“I am a 29F industrial mechanic at a bread factory. The co-owner of the factory is a very old man who is ‘old school’ and hasn't liked my presence from day 1,” the Reddit user wrote, adding that she is still on her probationary period. She explained that her immediate boss told her that her probationary period would be extended despite having “zero complaints” after her performance.
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What took her aback was her boss telling her that she may lose her job as she is a woman and “the co-owner doesn't like to see females in traditional male roles.”
She turned to the Reddit community for support, knowing that finding a new job in the current market would be daunting.
Many suggested she email her boss about the issue, which she did, and later shared an update. “My supervisor responded. He said he's going to arrange a meeting with HR to discuss this further,” she wrote.
Take a look at the post here:
How did Reddit users react?
“Get that reasoning in writing if you can,” posted a Reddit user. The original poster responded, “I don't know if I can. My supervisor told me to my face with a smug laugh. I don't know if he'll put that in writing, but I will try.”
Another person added, “If they are extending your probation but haven't told you in writing (and you've got 3 months in writing) and they try to fire you on day 91, then contest on grounds you've passed probation. Also, make a contemptuous note of the conversation, eg 11:41am, ‘boss laughed at me, told me probation extended due to being a woman and laughed again'. Note that you thought, ‘This could only be a joke, as that would probably be illegal’. what does your union need to make you ‘properly in the company?’ They'll have a list. Also, I know it's thin on the ground by keeping looking.”
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A third expressed, “After that conversation, I would have immediately sent my boss an email confirming in writing that he had just informed me that my probation would be extended because the company owner doesn’t believe women should be in the position. You put it in writing and watch them scramble.” A fourth wrote, “I would double-check that with your union. If they can't represent you until your probationary period is over, they certainly shouldn't accept dues payments from you until then.”
What are your thoughts on this woman’s claims?
