Marital Status discrimination / "glass ceiling" for singles (employed, interview, profit)
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We are in the New Millenium...in 2012. How many people here believe that being single, especially in a white collar environment, is a hindrance for the career advancement of single men and women over 35, or 40?
I've seen that it's more problematic for men, if the culture of the company/firm/organization has its leadership composed of married people. Even if the man is professional, educated, conventional and capable, the absence of a wedding band seems to be a "problem." Several messy divorces are viewed more favorably.
The situation is less of an issue, for women, it seems. It appears that the workplace gives a career woman some leeway because (1) she is working on her career, and (2) men might be intimidated.
Some professions or lines of work seem to be less "hazardous" for singles: anything in the health-related professions...or driving a subway car, among others.
It would suck to work at a place that did that. If you are in a technical field, the beauty of this is that if your work is good, it's objectively good, and you will get rewarded for it. Sales, same way, if you shift the product or service, and do it in mass quantities on a regular basis, you are a profit center and will be treated well (well, if they don't treat you well, you can move on with a raise very likely).
I have seen some "good old boy" network even in this environment, people are more comfortable with people who are more like them than different.
We are in the New Millenium...in 2012. How many people here believe that being single, especially in a white collar environment, is a hindrance for the career advancement of single men and women over 35, or 40?
I've seen that it's more problematic for men, if the culture of the company/firm/organization has its leadership composed of married people. Even if the man is professional, educated, conventional and capable, the absence of a wedding band seems to be a "problem." Several messy divorces are viewed more favorably.
The situation is less of an issue, for women, it seems. It appears that the workplace gives a career woman some leeway because (1) she is working on her career, and (2) men might be intimidated.
Some professions or lines of work seem to be less "hazardous" for singles: anything in the health-related professions...or driving a subway car, among others.
What do you think of this? What is your insight?
I think it can be a hindrance for both sexes. Men because there are some who view single men as weird and creepy, women because they are excluded from the plethora of baby/kid talk that goes on in most offices.
Some cities and states are better for singles than others. I lived in Miami for several years where no one would really care, nor would it hurt your career advancement as people tended to stay young and still party well into their 40's and beyond. I would imagine the same would be true in NYC. In more family oriented cities or states, it might be more of an issue.
Some cities and states are better for singles than others.
It just depends where you live IMO.
I agree. But I also think that some professions, some lines of work, and some shifts (11 to 7, for example ) might be better for singles. But, the "glass ceiling" is there.
They're not allowed to discriminate based on marital status, aren't they though, legally speaking! (Though socially it probably happens in practice, especially in some job environments where they care about and happen to be too nosy about your personal or private life such as marriage and kids or lack thereof, which I think is total crap, if it's irrelevant to your quality of work).
Some cities and states are better for singles than others. I lived in Miami for several years where no one would really care, nor would it hurt your career advancement as people tended to stay young and still party well into their 40's and beyond. I would imagine the same would be true in NYC. In more family oriented cities or states, it might be more of an issue.
It just depends where you live IMO.
On this note, I had started a thread, on the "world" forum actually, not too long ago, asking whether cultures/places differed on attitudes about keeping personal life to yourself at work; though I'd really would have been curious to hear anyone's experiences, it seemed like it barely got any response.
I haven't personally either, but if so, it does seem illegal to discriminate on marital status (from what I was always told at least for Canada and the USA; correct me if I'm wrong or if there are exceptions) and at the very least at the social/practical level, pointless and unsportsmanlike to even care about something like that if it is not relevant to your job.
They're not allowed to discriminate based on marital status, aren't they though, legally speaking! (Though socially it probably happens in practice, especially in some job environments where they care about and happen to be too nosy about your personal or private life such as marriage and kids or lack thereof, which I think is total crap, if it's irrelevant to your quality of work).
There ARE environments like that. I worked for an outfit that employed about 35 to 45 people. I look back at how most interviews I've had over time included some quirk that turned me off about an employer but, at this particular outfit, I had the most "normal" and informal interview I've experienced, the salary bump was good, and I took the job. I began in April. By October, I was questioning whether I should have taken the job. Right before an election, the head honcho puts up an 8-1/2x11 sheet on the "recommended" voting positions on a bulletin board in a common area - all Republican! Realistically, I think they hired me, assuming I either didn't wear a wedding band or was divorced. I stayed 3 years, until something else came along. During that time, I didn't go to the Christmas parties because I didn't want to. One other guy, a professional and a widower, and some others never went to them, so I decided it was ok to pass. I was in charge of an important assignment toward the end, and I had a couple of paraprofessionals working for me. They were not that competent nor skilled enough for the work, so I would go back at night and redo their work, to keep things going and because I don't like to get otherwise nice people in trouble. When I turned in my resignation, they tried to get me to change my mind and offer me more money. I declined. They should have shown a different tune the prior 2.5 years. The paraprofessionals took over and, from what I heard, drove the assignment into the ground.
As a librarian, I'm almost expected to be a single woman with 3 cats... and as of right now, I happen to fit those stereotypes to a tee!
So it's really not an issue in my field, but I could see it being a hindrance in the corporate world - only slightly, though, since single professional women (more so than men) are fairly common these days.
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) might be better for singles. But, the "glass ceiling" is there.
