#MeToo movement backlash hits women in workforce

17
322

Fallout from the #MeToo movement has hit working women in unexpected ways, according to a survey explained by the Harvard Business Review.

Since the #MeToo movement began in the entertainment industry in 2017, leading to the downfall of Producer Harvey Weinstein and other men, attractive women are finding they are not being hired throughout other industries as often they once were.

Sixteen percent of men and 11 percent of women women surveyed said they they are less willing now to hire attractive women than they were before the high-profile anti-harassment movement.

Also, 22 percent of men and 44 percent of women predicted that men are more apt to exclude women from social interactions, such as after-work drinks; and nearly one-third of men are reluctant to have a one-on-one meeting with a woman, according to the study.

Fifty-six percent of women said they expect that men would continue to harass but be more careful to not get caught, and 58 percent of men predict that men in general have greater fears of being unfairly accused.

One of the most high-profile cases of harassment was the accusation made against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who during his confirmation hearings faced accusations made by Christine Blasey Ford, who said he forced himself on her in high school at a drinking party. The accusation nearly derailed Kavanugh from being appointed to the Supreme Court after women, mainly leftists, from all over the country rallied to block his nomination, even though proof was missing from the decades-old accusation.

The story is linked here at Harvard Business Review.

17 COMMENTS

  1. The “attractive women” angle I had not heard yet. But I have personally encountered here in Anchorage two business owners who admitted passing on women applicants, not because of lack of competence, but because of the greater risk of fallout with any accusation no longer needing evidence of the deed. The “believe all accusers” (especially women) mantra is now playing out to real-life consequences. You can’t sue your employer if you’re unemployed. And all women will now pay the price even if they didn’t support the “women never lie” media message.

    • SR – Thank you for ground-truthing what most readers no doubt suspect — that it is playing out that way in Alaska. The “believe all women” movement has real consequences for women. -sd

  2. The “Pence Rule” (never dine alone with another woman other than your wife), has proven to be an excellent prophetic rule. VP Pence is a good man, and those who laughed at him for saying this are fools.

    • This whole me too movement is ridiculous. Any woman that comes out of the woodwork years later to say a man back 20 years ago made inappropriate moves needs her head examined sorry. You either are lying about it, jumping on a bandwagon, or just trying to get attention. If any guy did something inappropriate with me you can bet immediately there would be consequences.. Not years later. Now the workplace has become a joke. No one can kid around, especially in mixed company for fear some idiot woman will attack them for a word they said behind their backs.
      If women want respect, then act responsible and respectable instead of a bunch of babies looking for attention. I haven’t bought into any of this since it started. To me all it is, is yet another left side movement making all women look bad. A normal person would report any unwanted advances immediately. Not ten, twenty thirty years later.

      • Sex harassment is attack of the body not the mind the only thing the brain is doing is trying to get the attacked out of the situation. This is not a mental illness okay thank you .it’s attack on the human body .

  3. I don’t see where attractiveness has anything to do with it. Being female is the issue. Pretty, ugly, or androgynous….men beware. The men I talk to do not even want to get into an elevator alone with a woman. Isn’t that sad? The simple act of an elevator door opening, a lone woman is in the elevator, and as a man, you have to make that split-second decision…. do I get on this elevator and travel to my floor, or not? That is the environment that has been created with all of this bull crap.
    .
    I’ve worked in plenty of environments where women were the ones doing the stroking. Granted, the men didn’t ‘seem’ to mind (I’m sure their wives would have), but I look back at what the ladies were doing… it was terrible harassment to those men.
    .
    Usually, when these mobs glom onto these big “movements” en mass, it ultimately makes full circle and ends up biting them in the @ss. They end up being the “perps” of their own cause. They are so ridiculous.
    .
    When someone is legitimately and actually assaulted and or harassed, sexually or otherwise, whether male or female, any reasonable person would want that dealt with appropriately via due process….you would think. The problem is the lack of reason in the #metoo movement.

  4. If a male host did what Meredith Viera did to this Navy pilot on national television, what would have happened?
    .

    .
    Maybe nothing in the year that it was filmed, and maybe nothing because it is the Hollywood left elite, but it should give you pause.

  5. I’m waiting for the men to start #menmetoo and calling out the women who flirt/harass/grope/entice into relationships to start.

  6. Considering that harassment complaints can be made – regardless of truth – with little adverse consequences, the change in attitude by men may be one of the few available responses. I have personally seen unfounded complaints used a weapon to neutralize or eliminate men in the workplace. Women should not be surprised at changes in the workplace, including the personal dynamics.

  7. In my profession there was a movement towards active mentorship where senior folks were paired with junior to provide career advice and guidance. Since this movement started, that has all but died. While most wouldn’t hesitate to provide specific advice, if asked, there isn’t that one-on-one coaching/mentoring relationship like there was developing. Everyone I know says the same thing, the risks are just too high for a misperception of intentions or actions. Sad , really, but protecting your career and family must come first.

  8. Look, what happened to the rule of law? That a person was assumed innocent until found guilty in court? There are some real manhaters out there that would do or say anything to take down a man, or pad their purses. They tried it on Kavanaugh. Even when the accusers stories feel apart riddled with holes, the haters stayed on board. Reminds me of the Mel Gibson movie with Helen hunt. Yes, men need to watch their back if they want to stay innocent.

  9. I do construction here in Anchorage. Very few women in the trades, despite the low entry and great pay/benefits.

    Its no secret to me. Contractors avoid hiring women because they are a problem to deal with. A contractor has to be able to bid work all over the state to stay in business.. So often workers need to share a house/hotel room. Your just asking for problems sending one women to remote location to do work. So what happens is the men are sent out of town and the women stay in town. This creates animosity because the men see the women taking all the easy work in town while the men have to take the tough remote work.

    Not sure what the answer is. Probably never will be a solution.

    • If you boil down the entire #MeToo movement and look back at its genesis, one can define it from the activities of a few bad actors (men). Leftist women saw an opening and piled on quickly, to demonize all men as unsophisticsted sexual predators, constantly trolling for game. This is just another angle of attack to place women into a larger political power structure. But it will not work favorably for women because men will become more creative and in the end more sophisticated in their relationships with women. Men will fight back. It’s what they do in the end. And women will not enjoy the outcome.

  10. Long time ago, an out-of-control prank by couple of females led me to exit from my work, as the company wanted to “save face.” Now, I avoid women and only deal with those who have a reputation of trust, sincerity, and expertise with respect to the work they do. I must say I am pretty good in making that judgment call. That means very few female colleagues and the rest is my family. I have been doing this for over 15 years now, well before the metoo movement started and it has done wonders for me. I will be the last one on this planet to harass women, because I don’t get near them.

  11. Hummmmmmmmm. As a African American women the metoo movement has been a double whammy.

    I am an accountant , specifically a Tax Manager. For the. past two years I have been interviewing. I will not get an offer if an older – looking gentlemen is on the panel. (my assumption is 55 plus in age). I have been told that I was prefect, but they are going with another candidate. This has happened 3 times within the last 90 days! For those of you that don’t know. Mostly older gentlemen are Partners in public accounting firms.

    Bottom line, I am now combatting gender discrimination and the fact that I am a black women is not helping either. Either way, opting out, not working and impending a woman’s career is still discrimination.

    Here is the problem with opting out – in my profession, typically, I am most likely going to need the mentorship from a more senior co-worker which at this level in my career…IT PROBABLY GOING TO BE A MALE. Another issue with opting out is what…wait for it…the L word, litigation. What else can be done other than lawsuits for hiring and hostile work environment discrimination.? SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING? smh…

    From my prospective, these are high profile cases of some powerful men. This isn’t Joe the. Plumber. Yet, so many men have become fearful that any women can ruin his career and the solution is to not employ and mentor women???????. So, your wife gets laid off and now she can’t find a job! News flash, this is not protecting your family at the end of the day. #KARMA.

Comments are closed.