I work for a small family firm and have a colleague who, whenever faced with any task over and above the exact outline of her job description starts babbling to management and anyone who will listen about how its unreasonable to expect 'women' in the organisation to do 'insert task, treat whatever'. It's been said so many times in the past twelve months that I am starting to get concerned about the repercussions to other and future female employees and I am furious because this person does not represent me and it is hard enough to be taken seriously as a committed worker and a woman in the industry we work in.
Examples of the behaviours include: recently when our company offered to put on an annual free outing for all staff (starting this October) (yeah - nice if you can get it heh?) this person complained that it was unreasonable to expect 'women' to be at a location more than 15 miles from the main office because they have husbands and children to get home to. It now looks likely that the perk may be temporarily shelved as it is meeting 'such resistance' - in reality it is just the one very vocal person who is whipping up such a fuss.
To a bunch of male colleagues on another person going on maternity leave ' I bet you wish you could have a year off! I just sat with my feet up for my maternity leave... then when I came back I could decide what hours I fancied doing.. '
On being left alone in the office for an hour (daytime) because she chose not to attend a training course because she would finish more than 15 minutes from home. 'Its not safe , and as a woman I should not be left on my own - anything could happen to me and you'd be liable'.
Anyone think I'm being unreasonable to want to give her an unwomanly and figurative shake!?? I know that its general malingering with an excuse but it makes my blood boil that the excuse is 'because I'm a girl'.