Are men afraid to interact with women in the workplace because of the MeToo Movement?

[Anonymous]

I have noticed that the guys I work with aren't as friendly as they used to be. Some of my female friends have also noticed a changed in behavior with most of their male colleagues. Is this the downside of the MeToo movement?

[nightdrot]

The data is only very preliminary, and as such is somewhat in question. However, there are indications that employers are becoming more reluctant to hire women and that male/female interactions have diminished.

A study published by the World Economic Forum found that managers were avoiding direct interactions with younger female employees, Moreover that men were limiting their interactions with female colleagues to group situations.

In addition, male managers, according Sylvia Ann Hewlett, CEO of the Center for Talent Innovation, reports that male managers are no longer mentoring female employees, thereby diminishing women's opportunities for promotion. This is confirmed by a survey commissioned by the Lean In initiative.

A Pew report identified some similar concerns, with 21 percent of women saying that the increased focus on sexual harassment would lead to decreased opportunities for women in the workplace, and 31 percent saying that women falsely claiming sexual harassment or assault is a major problem today.

Of course, given the relatively short timeframe being covered since the MeToo movement got off the ground, this data is not absolutely reliable. Still, the fact that the rules are ambiguous and that accusations of harassment - at least at the cultural level - need not be confirmed, and it is reasonable to assume that MeToo is having some unintended negative consequences.

The irony is that the more free wheeling sexual environment that was born of the feminist movement - the idea that the old rules were constraining on women - has led to the rise of sexual harassment. As a matter of anthropology, whatever their faults, the old societal rules of female conduct had evolved as much to protect women.

When those rules were relaxed, all bets were off. It will take a while, to say the least, to replace what was carelessly torn down. Moreover, as Burke said, "Manners are of more importance than laws. The law can touch us here and there, now and then. Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarize or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation like that of the air we breathe in."

Law has been forced to replace what had been a code of conduct rooted in informal manners. The result will be more confrontational and, ironically, less effective as law, in extremis, can only remedy after the fact. In the end, neither women nor men are likely to be better served by that.

[passinby]

Damn right. They are legal landmines. I avoid women in the office. I turned down a mentoring task to a woman because I would be alone with her. I do not travel alone with women. I sometimes jump off the elevator when one is there alone. I avoid looking at them and absolutely never engage in small talk with them. I am robotic ice when at work until there might be a woman customer that I will warm up to and compliment and kiss her ass. When I have a real reason to talk to one I do it with all the confidence and professionalism possible and I try to only talk to them in groups.

[vishna]

Every job I've ever been at, the guys and girls talk all the time. Yea, predominately people click more with the same gender, but we all got along at my job laughing and working as a team.

[linds34]

I haven't noticed that. It seems like everybody cares now when it's a celebrity or media figure involved, but I doubt they'd care if something happened at my job.

[Multi]

Sometimes women use the metoo movement ro their advantage to make the guy chase them. Now we men just say its ur turn to chase because 1) we dont want to get fked for something we didn't do. 2) times are changing and women should actually pick up their imaginary balls and approach guys rather than playing game which only inflates womens ego

[Anonymous]

I still give them a chance. But the moment I can tell that a girl is "one of those type of people" we're done. Strictly business from then on. Nothing more than a hello so I don't get accused of "eye rape" or thinking dirty thoughts about her and end up losing my career.

[Deukalion]

There are many bitches at workplace i fired 2 of them because they told me for harassment by they co worker. The thing is, i told one of them , are you sure it was harassment? She told me yeah 1000% , then i show her video from cameras how she point her ass at the guy that it was not possible to see , even her underwear was show from video. And the guy just looked twice and put he's hand to forehead.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, now we're not sure what we are and aren't allowed to do these days

I was watching "Mom" the other day and there was a scene where Anna (Christy), was really irritated with one of her customers, and her boss says to her "you look really pretty today, did you do something with your hair". Now, they had slept together, so, they have history, but, since then they are just boss and employee. So, was he out of line, was this "sexual harassment", in the workplace?

[JSmuve]

I think those guys are afraid of accidentally saying or doing something that could make you feel uncomfortable or get misinterpreted and then get shit canned by HR.

[Futurelooker]

Yes, because no one wants to get accused of sexual harassment.

[hindril]

Many are scared of getting accused of harassment. I worked at one place that made the rules about it so confusing that in a way if you said "hi" in the wrong tone it is considered sexual harassment.

[jessture]

Yeah we now live in the world where she just needs to accuse me of looking at her boobs and I'm fucked

[Soteris]

No. I have not even considered it as a possibility in the first place.

[PlasticSpoon]

Probably modern feminism...

... or they're just busy?

[lemmingj]

No, I always knew better than to say anything unprofessional to a female coworker.
My coworker got his ass fired over nothing.

[Juxtapose]

Given how much more common and devastating false accusations are, I can't say I blame them.

[geminiboner]

On harassment no, but I avoid drama of any kind at all the cost.

[geminiboner]

But on a more humorous note the vagina can be horrifying.

[Anonymous]

I keep my mouth shut and my eyes focused elsewhere. I ain't gettin charged with harassment

[DinaM]

I haven't noticed anything.

[Girolamo]

How would you feel if you were a guy?

[MisterSir]

nah, they’re probably just busy working

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

The creeps are.