Here is the message that many men have gotten from the #MeToo movement, don't talk to a woman, don't have lunch with a woman, don't drive to an appointment with a woman and to make that all a lot easier....just don't hire a woman. That way you, or your employees, won't risk saying or doing something that might offend the woman.
I received this today from a financial publication sent to people in the financial services industry.
No more dinners with female colleagues. Don’t sit next to them on flights. Book hotel rooms on different floors. Avoid one-on-one meetings.
In fact, as a wealth adviser put it, just hiring a woman these days is “an unknown risk.” What if she took something he said the wrong way?
Across Wall Street, men are adopting controversial strategies for the #MeToo era and, in the process, making life even harder for women.
Call it the Pence Effect, after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who has said he avoids dining alone with any woman other than his wife. In finance, the overarching impact can be, in essence, gender segregation.
Interviews with more than 30 senior executives suggest many are spooked by #MeToo and struggling to cope. “It’s creating a sense of walking on eggshells,” said David Bahnsen, a former managing director at Morgan Stanley who’s now an independent adviser overseeing more than $1.5 billion.
In this charged environment, the question is how the response to #MeToo might actually end up hurting women’s progress. Given the male dominance in Wall Street’s top jobs, one of the most pressing consequences for women is the loss of male mentors who can help them climb the ladder.
“There aren’t enough women in senior positions to bring along the next generation all by themselves,” said Lisa Kaufman, chief executive officer of LaSalle Securities. “Advancement typically requires that someone at a senior level knows your work, gives you opportunities and is willing to champion you within the firm. It’s hard for a relationship like that to develop if the senior person is unwilling to spend one-on-one time with a more junior person.”
Here;
https://www.fa-mag.com/news/a-wall-street-rule-for-the--metoo-era--avoid-women-at-all-cost-42143.html?section=43&page=3
We don't know what the answer is. The article seems to suggest that a man could help mentor a women in her career but only if she is "older" and "unattractive". So what does "older" mean? 35 and above? How unfair is the idea that men could mentor a younger woman but only if she was overweight and frumpy? Next up is that all the "attractive" women will be suing firms because all the senior executive men REFUSED to mentor them but DID mentor the "unattractive" women.
Can you shake hands with a woman? What if you hold her hand to long? Can you touch her on the shoulder while you are opening a door for them to guide them through the door? Can you open a car door for her if you are all riding to lunch?...or could she be offended by that because you didn't open the car door for the young men in your party?
So the conclusion is....if you are a man...just stay away from hiring women. There is simply too much risk involved in having them around.
Well, yes you can...but ONLY if she meets the definition of "older" and "unattractive".
