Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Anyone work/ed in an all female work place?

57 replies

Newface · 14/08/2018 20:11

How do/did you find it?

I’m interested in a role at a small business with a currently female workforce.

Would be interested to hear the experiences of others.

OP posts:
tangledzebra · 14/08/2018 20:17

I work in an all female work place and have done for the past 6 years. I find it incredibly supportive and enjoyable. I manage a women's domestic violence service and the women in my team are wonderful women.

What are your concerns?

Yadda · 14/08/2018 20:19

All girls school. One male member of the teaching staff. It was ok. I did have reservations to start with, but it was generally fine. One or two openly bitchy colleagues and a few cliques but the majority were open and friendly. Saying that there were approximately 60 staff members so more problematic colleagues could be avoided and their influence diluted. Also, management openly discouraged bitching or gossiping which helped. I'm not sure I would've had such a positive experience at a very small workplace. How small is the company?

MozzchopsThirty · 14/08/2018 20:20

Oh it's hideous
I don't like it at all
It's bitchy, cliquey and people are constantly shafting each other
It's a team of nurses

Yadda · 14/08/2018 20:21

Just to agree with Tangled, I found it hugely supportive.

Cleanermaidcook · 14/08/2018 20:22

I work in an all female place. A preschool, there's 10 of us. We all get on very well, socialise together and lots of support. Of course there is sometimes a disagreement or issue but it always gets worked out pretty quickly.

WillowRose79 · 14/08/2018 20:24

I work in a very small place with 2 other women. I'm soon moving out of the area but my manager will be a friend for life. I've only ever really worked with women

moreismore · 14/08/2018 20:29

I do! Love it. But the business owner is incredibly kind, fair and always has her eye on the ball. Any potential source of conflict is just dealt with too quickly for anything to become an issue. That would be important I think.

TomHardysNextWife · 14/08/2018 20:29

I worked in a care home with no male staff. Honestly it was hell on earth. I still don't know how to this day that I lasted a year there. I'd asked for 3 shifts a week to gain some care experience before applying to train to be a nurse, and that seemed to create an issue in itself in that I wasn't working 50 odd hours a week and had an "easy" shift pattern with no nightshifts. The sheer nastiness actually took my breath away at times. I tried to not get involved in gossip and be friendly to everyone but it was far too much like hard work. Put me off training as a nurse too. However I did find that management turned a blind eye to it which didn't help.

MeyMary · 14/08/2018 20:30

Yes, I did.

It was one of the best work environments I've ever experienced (up to now).

We all had different areas of expertise, were very driven, motivated and intent on fostering an atmosphere of respect and mutual support. :)

areyouactuallykidding · 14/08/2018 20:31

Surely these are just examples of different workplaces rather than examples of what ‘working with women is like’. Some are supportive, some are shit. Nothing to do with having a vagina

marvellousnightforamooncup · 14/08/2018 20:34

Once in an all female department it was shit, bitchy and bullying.

The last place I worked was lovely, supportive and friendly.

Saidthesharktotheflyingfish · 14/08/2018 20:37

Our office is almost entirely female other than one manager who rarely works from the site. It is a lovely supportive and caring environment.

Interesting to read the comment about nurses as whenever I have worked with them (am an AHP) my experience has been exactly the same.

DoneAdulting · 14/08/2018 20:55

I work in a high street bank and there are 8 of us, all women. We are very close and everyone is so supportive of each other. I really care about my colleagues. Jobs shit though.

uncoolnn · 14/08/2018 20:57

It's not all female but the majority are. It's bitchy, cliquey and generally not a nice place to work.

Gildashairflick · 14/08/2018 20:59

I work in an all female workplace and it is protected by the sex discrimination act so we only recruit females. It doesn't bother me tbh. I'm the manager so I have zero tolerance to the bitchiness that can sometimes tear its ugly head in all female environments. We get men who use our service and other professionals accompanying male and female attendees but our interaction varies. I do think all female just like all Male is fine as long as the leadership team have their head screwed on and they have emotional intelligence.

Gildashairflick · 14/08/2018 21:00

Oh and my worst workplace bullying has been at the hands of female managers not Male.

Babyroobs · 14/08/2018 21:06

Yes worked in a care setting for 14 years with only the odd male nurse coming and going again soon. Very bitchy and a bit of a bullying environment but that's Nursing for you. where I currently work it's about a 50:50 split and it's much nicer.

Longdistance · 14/08/2018 21:07

My office is all female, and my previous job was too. We got on great, and had such a giggle.
We’ve looked out for each other, shared stories about our lives, families etc.
It could depend on what job you are going for, and the environment of the place.

One role I went for, the ice breaker was ‘ we swear loads here’ me ‘thank fuck for that!’
Worked a treat, as we’re really close.

FourAlarmFire · 14/08/2018 21:08

I did at a children’s health charity - lovely supportive atmosphere. But I’ve also worked with men who are great and women who are not-so-great. It’s all down to individuals in the end.

Imchangingmyname · 14/08/2018 21:10

Nothing to do with having a vagina

Why does MN have to be so 'right on' on all the time, it's so tedious.

Everyone knows, since the beginning of time, that a group of women together are more likely to be gossipy/bitchy than a group of men. Not all women. Not all men. Generally, though that's the case. It's ok to say it.

RiddleyW · 14/08/2018 21:13

My team is five women, one man. I love it, seems to work brilliantly for us.

MeyMary · 14/08/2018 21:30

Everyone knows, since the beginning of time, that a group of women together are more likely to be gossipy/bitchy than a group of men

Is that actually the case or more of an "everyone knows this" kind of fact (like: women are more hysterical, incapable of abstract thought, mentally feeble and amö the other things people used to come up wit

The most toxic group dynamics I've ever had the extreme displeasure to experience were actually in high and middle school and clearly driven by the male part of the class. They didn't actually target us girls but I felt like watching their interactions (so much bullying, heckling, excluding, sneering etc.) was extremely disturbing. And there was this constant atmosphere of extreme unease / tension.

Hockneypool · 14/08/2018 21:30

Work for a charity that is all women. It’s the most supportive, co-operative and creative place I have ever worked.

Groups of women are not more gossipy or bitchy than groups of men. We just use different words to describe the behaviours of men. Banter can be both gossipy and bitchy. We have also been told ‘from the beginning of time’ that women are bitchy and gossipy so we believe it and see it in action.

MeyMary · 14/08/2018 21:33

and amö all the other things people used to come up -wit with

Gymbunny1986 · 14/08/2018 21:33

I have the opposite. I’m the only female in a team of 13 in a very male dominated industry. I get along well it’s them all and being female isn’t an issue, I go for drinks after work and on staff nights out without feeling awkward. Occasionally it can get a bit boring though. Like the start of the football season or when the world cup was on as that’s all that they talked about but other than that’s no issues at all. They are all quite protective over me but respect me as part of their team.
In our region there is one other female and she is a senior manager so I suppose slightly different for her but she’s great. We both enjoy working with the lads and shes always at the end of the phone or around for a coffee if either of us fancy a bit of a girly chat.