So, this morning my mom came by my house to drop off a Cherry Coke and a coffee for my fiancee. She didn't have to be at work until 11:30 am because her boss is taking "flying lessons," so she had a bit of spare time.
After exchanging small talk and catching up a bit, my mom's phone rang. She said that it was someone calling about another job opportunity for her, so I asked her what was wrong with her current job. She then told me that she absolutely loves her job (she is a nursepractitioner who assists in gastric bypass surgery and lap band procedures), but she has been having a problem with her boss for quite awhile.
It all started last year, when my mom asked for a raise. She really had to fight for this raise. She works for an independent physician with a big ego, who actually turns out to be a chauvanistic pig. When she stated her claims and compared her salary to those that other nursepractitioners make doing her line of work, his comment was , "You know, this is the first time anyone has come to me asking for a raise, because I treat my employees very well."
I guess my mom's boss has also been making sexual comments, to which some of the female employees perpetuate. For example, one of the secretaries will say something to the extent of, "Oh, you're gonna like this patient. She's a twenty year old student."
Some other instances include:
**There was an addition to the research panel at the place where my mom works. This was an attractive woman from California, and of course, my mom's boss pointed out to everyone at work how much better looking this woman was than the other people on the research panel... commenting on her legs and chest (but using offensive words).
**This physician also works in another city nearby. The woman that is in charge of this other facility organized a bunch of meetings/groups for my mom's boss. When she did this, the physician replied, "So who'd you have to sleep with to get this going?" Not only did my mom's boss say this to this notable woman, but afterward, he called my mom and told her what he said.
**One of the women that my mom works with is expecting. At a luncheon, they were talking about the sex of the baby. My mom's boss commented, "Oh, you want to know how it's a boy? If he's doing this," and then made a gesture like he was maturbating.
**One of the women that my mom works with has a daughter who has an STD, and her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Somehow, the boss caught wind of this and basically said that the daughter deserved this because she had an STD and was a slut. The woman at work called him out on this and he went off on her saying she had no right to talk to him that way.
My Mom said that she was going to talk to him behind closed doors, but she said she was going to give it "time." She's afraid that once again, she's going to be treated like a prude and degraded for her stance. I told her she could probably file a law suit if she wanted, but she just wants things to change at work. I really need some support and advice on resources that I can give her. I told her I could send her stuff on sexual harrassment... and she thinks she knows enough. However, I'm afraid she won't be assertive enough to stand up for this horrible situation.
I need your help!
Rachel
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: I need your advice!!.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.feministing.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.fcgi/8893
Weekly Feministing Newsletter
Feministing RSS Feed
Is your Mum a member of a union? I'm a UK trade union activist and don't know anything about unions in the U.S., but if she is she should be able to go to them for confidential advice and if not it sounds like she should join one quick sharp! She might be able to find advice without joining on a union website too. Hope it works out for her!
i think you should see if the american medical association has advice on this situation. it would seem to me that just the comment about the 20 year old patient could be grounds for filing a complaint against him. i mean, how do you think his female patients would feel if they knew he was like that? i've had several instances in my life where i was pretty sure that my doctor was attracted to me, and it creeped me the fuck out! i'd like to believe that my doctor can separate his sexuality from his patients, and not look at them as naked women, but as JUST HIS PATIENT.
good luck to your mom. wish i had better advice, but i think proving this kind of situation is not easy at all, and made even more difficult when other staff members go along with it.
With the examples you gave I think it would be a hard case. In general the boss needs to be more that a complete chauvinistic pig. If your moms pay was targeted specifically for her gender different story..Hostile workplace might seem to be a winner but in reality a strong case would have behavior that is beyond the pale. Thats not to say their is not a case. I think suing here would be a matter of principle over Practical. Does your Mom want to make a point or does she want better pay and/or a new job?
I think there might be a way to do something. If your mom doesn't like the way the boss talks, she can simply state her mind. If in fact the boss gets angry, *then* it's retaliation, and oppression, and he's trying to silence her as a woman. She should make notes of everything he says whenever she speaks out. *Then* she could (or damned well should!!!!) be able to demonstrate there is a hostile workplace: i.e., he's allowed to say whatever he wants but she gets punished for doing the same thing.