If you are a woman in the workplace, you likely are aware of the “glass ceiling.” This is a term that refers to the widespread difficulty women experience when trying to advance in their jobs and careers. The glass ceiling is evident in the fact that women only earn seventy-five percent of the salary of their male counterparts.
Sometimes, a workplace that is unfair to women is not immediately obvious; discrimination and mistreatment may be subtler. Here are some red flags that the organization you work for has a glass ceiling problem.
1. Mostly (or all) males in prominent positions
The first thing you need to do to figure out if your employer is unfair towards female employees is look at who is in charge. Even if there are a lot of women in lower-level positions, this diversity is not enough. A lot of companies fail to promote female candidates to management positions. If women do not get the chance to lead, men are making all the decisions.
2. The leadership is not supportive of diversity
Pay attention to what executives and managers say when discussing women and diversity. Their words may not be outright offensive or derogatory, but they may be dismissive. The tone of the leadership matters because it sets the climate for the entire organization. The people at the top should be actively supporting and pursuing diversity at the highest ranks.
3. There is a culture of discrimination
You may be working in a discriminatory environment if you notice the following situations:
- You overhear insensitive and sexist conversations
- Male employees go to social events with senior executives more often than female employees
- The men unfairly get better assignments, opportunities and promotions
Sexism does not always need to be blatant. It can seem vague and ambiguous at first glance. No matter how obvious or subtle discrimination is, it has real-world effects on women like you.