Story 101
So many instances:
– When I was very junior a senior manager told me I smelled nice. At a different point said he was looking for a lover.
– Another senior manager avoided me like a plague if when I told him I was there if he needed anything. I meant related to work – and thought this was obv. but clearly not to him. He excluded me from meetings, never asked me for information and instead talked to a male colleague. I left that department, but it cost me career opps.
– Different company: I joined and discovered a massive issue. I ended up fixing it (it was 1-2 levels above my scope). My manager – who didn’t help at all- was promoted to a director level. When I asked for a promotion, he smirked at me. Instead he promoted the only male colleague under excuse of he got much better. Yes, because I trained him in area he should have already known. I later found out (by accident when the manager was away) that they collated output of my work and presented it to senior management. Same colleague told all women that he was in meetings because we wouldn’t understand it.
– Same company when I noticed that CFO would stroke his hips when I and another colleague talked to him. About work stuff & partially in the office.
– Different company: I was ignored and called entitled when I tried to get ppl to do their jobs. My emails were ignored and things that ( were eventually adopted) took months for me to convince people. Male colleague at the most senior level constantly interrupted women in meetings – often on 2nd sentence and I checked- and used to call me darling etc. Older female colleague also called women darling /love. Male boss – at the highest level- also avoided me like the plague ( similar to second point, but I didn’t even say anything).
– Same company as above: I overheard male colleague banter how one was getting it on with a woman in a room. This was in an open plan (but half empty) office. Since I was already seen as difficult, I unofficially told the C suite. One of them was promoted. Another sat opposite me. I also overheard them laughing with one of the man in the office a week after I told them. At the same time, I was told that I can work from home as much as a I want. I was slowly excluded from meetings/emails etc. Company eventually launched a course on sexual harassment– but months later and after I asked about it.
– Same company as above: My boss the CFO used to get back from lunch (boozy) and inappropriately look at me including my breasts. Eventually I was let go & I’m sure badly talked about in the industry.
All of these were in office in broad daylight and often in front of other people. I don’t know if this is normal or if I got unlucky.