Looking for some opinions on a work matter regarding my gf.
She works in events. The team is small, she has one line manager just for her, and there are 3 other women at her level managed by an overall manager.
They occasionally have to work away on the lead up to events, and work meals are booked at a restaurant chosen by the aforementioned managers. I should make it clear that these meals are not mandatory, in some instances they would be as they include a debriefing meeting for the day but this is not currently the case. Back at the hotel these managers usually stay drinking at the hotel bar and are usually accompanied by a couple of the other women.
Now, when the event comes around they stay away for a couple of weeks to prep, hold the event, and then breakdown.
During this prep week my gf turned down one of the evening meals, she told her line manager that she instead wanted to go and clean up and rest in her hotel room as she had been doing a particularly messy job that day.
The next day her line manager pulled her aside and asked her if she was ill, she replied she was not. She re-explained why she decided not to attend the meal.
He then said that he'd like to give her some advice, that this advice was passed down to him in his years at the organisation under the overall manager of the team. He said her work performance is excellent and she'd done a good job, that one of the women my gf works with is especially good at this ("this" referring to the point he's about to make - not the work), that he doesn't agree with it ("it" again being the point he is preparing to get to), but it's just how things are.......and then proceeded to finally get to his point: she needs to attend after-work social meals/drinks because when the director for their department visits during the actual 3 day event the only time she is going to interact with him is during late night evening drinks, and not doing so would negatively impact her career progression and promotion chances.
Any thoughts on this? Is this "just the way it is?"
Call me old fashioned but I thought career progression was based upon the excellent job you are doing, and that your direct managers would communicate this performance further up the ladder and recommend you for promotion?
This has made her feel very uncomfortable and I was looking for some opinions on this and how best she might raise the issue?
Or are we blowing this out of proportion?
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Girlfriend made to feel uncomfortable at work
5 replies
Bugeatsbread · 01/11/2016 18:36
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