A double standard

[a_minimalist]

I work with basically all women at my job. They give me all of the heavy lifting and manual labor because I am a man. The manager actually said exactly that today. Am I the only one who sees a double standard here? If it was all men and one women and they made her clean because she is a woman a lawsuit would be filed in a split second.

Luckily, I'm leaving this part-time job since I finally found a full-time gig but even though I'm leaving in a week, the principle still bothers me. Am I the only one who sees a double standard here? If I was a woman and they were men it would be a case of sexism, no?

 

[IAMKING]

Of course if it was the other way lawsuits would be filed but you're a man suck it up

 

[zrinkill]

you're a man suck it up

 

[basstapp]

If I was the only man in the department I would be more inclined to do heavy lifting rather then have a woman do it. I can see your discrimination point of view, but its just culturally acceptable for men to do that type of work.

 

[joseephuss]

I work with basically all women at my job. They give me all of the heavy lifting and manual labor because I am a man. The manager actually said exactly that today. Am I the only one who sees a double standard here? If it was all men and one women and they made her clean because she is a woman a lawsuit would be filed in a split second.

Luckily, I'm leaving this part-time job since I finally found a full-time gig but even though I'm leaving in a week, the principle still bothers me. Am I the only one who sees a double standard here? If I was a woman and they were men it would be a case of sexism, no?

They could say you are the most qualified to do the heavy lifting because you are the strongest. Are you? Maybe you bring the requisite skills and talents to get that manual labor done the best. That would be different than saying it is because you are just a man. Can you say the same about cleaning? Is a woman inherently more qualified to clean?

 

[jobberone]

If I was the only man in the department I would be more inclined to do heavy lifting rather then have a woman do it. I can see your discrimination point of view, but its just culturally acceptable for men to do that type of work.

For me the rub would lie in their not appreciating it or even demanding I do it. I would prefer to do that but they shouldn't expect it. If the job is too demanding for a woman then salary should be a consideration.

 

[a_minimalist]

If I was the only man in the department I would be more inclined to do heavy lifting rather then have a woman do it. I can see your discrimination point of view, but its just culturally acceptable for men to do that type of work.

Well, when did it become culturally acceptable for gender roles in the workplace for men and not women?

 

[a_minimalist]

For me the rub would lie in their not appreciating it or even demanding I do it. I would prefer to do that but they shouldn't expect it. If the job is too demanding for a woman then salary should be a consideration.

That's probably what bothers me most. It's absolutely expected of me because I'm 6'4 230lbs. But, there's no appreciation and no increase in pay. When hired every person has to sign a contract that states they are capable of lifting 50lbs. Every single task that requires lifting more than 10lbs goes directly to me.

I'd have no problem doing it as it is relatively easy for me. It's the fact that it's expected and I'm told I'm given laborious tasks because I am a man. If I wanted a job that involved this kind of manual labor I'd get a construction job or landscaping job while looking for a full time job. I'd at least be paid appropriately for that kind of work.

 

[a_minimalist]

They could say you are the most qualified to do the heavy lifting because you are the strongest. Are you? Maybe you bring the requisite skills and talents to get that manual labor done the best. That would be different than saying it is because you are just a man. Can you say the same about cleaning? Is a woman inherently more qualified to clean?

That's not the point. I wasn't hired based on my size. The whole group was hired for the exact same position.

 

[joseephuss]

That's not the point. I wasn't hired based on my size. The whole group was hired for the exact same position.

No, you were hired for different reasons. Things evolve. They see you can do more than what you were hired for. Your size and strength seem to matter. Maybe you should ask for a raise because you are doing more.

My point is more if it did go to HR or something they have a way out. They don't have to point to you being a man, but rather you are just the strongest of the group. I don't see how they would be able to do the same in your example of a woman cleaning.

 

[rocboy22]

It is a double standard, but everyone accepts it, so it has to be dealt with. No matter what people try to do or say, life is not "fair".

 

[Dallas]

OP has a point.

I wouldn't do it. I would ask Connie or the pregnant chic. Why should I slip a disc over some girl who cant move a table?

 

[vta]

Ask 'em to iron your shirt after you're done.

What exactly is your job and what were you hired for?

And you are right, perception being the all mighty for today's generation if a woman perceived her role as being slandered sexually you'd have to fight double hard to disprove it.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Just demand they do all of the stereotypical lady stuff (cleaning, getting you a beer, etc) and call it a day

 

[a_minimalist]

Ask 'em to iron your shirt after you're done.

What exactly is your job and what were you hired for?

And you are right, perception being the all mighty for today's generation if a woman perceived her role as being slandered sexually you'd have to fight double hard to disprove it.

It's a basic sales job at a clothing store. It's the same position every seasonal employee was hired for

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Yea I worked at a retail store my first 2 years of college. I didn't mind doing the work because it kept me busy and made my day go by faster, but I did have the same exact conversations with the other male employees. It was an everything store--electronics, clothing, food, tools, etc. Everyone got paid the same amount of money. The girls' jobs were to operate the registers, assist customers, and straighten the store. The guys' jobs were to operate the registers, assist customers, straighten the store, clean up spills, carry out items to customers' cars, hang signs, go outside and round up shopping carts, unload merchandise that arrived on trucks and load it in the stock room, take out the merchandise from the stock room and put it on the shelves in its appropriate location. As you see, there was definitely a stereotype affecting how a person's job was dictated. It wasn't like one guy and ten girls working in an office and whenever someone needs a box lifted they ask the guy. It was an entire different set of duties because of gender. I also worked in an office for 2 years before I started college with mostly females and I was asked occasionally to do minor things because I was a male. That didn't bother me at all. I actually rather enjoyed it. It made me feel like a gentleman. However, what the OP is talking about and what I experienced is something totally different.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

They could say you are the most qualified to do the heavy lifting because you are the strongest. Are you? Maybe you bring the requisite skills and talents to get that manual labor done the best. That would be different than saying it is because you are just a man. Can you say the same about cleaning? Is a woman inherently more qualified to clean?

exactly.You'd have a point if you were 5'2 110 pounds and worked with women who are 6'2 170 with biceps the size of your head. But assuming that's not the case, having you do the heavy lifting is more efficient.

In your scenario, with it being all men and one woman, you can't argue that a woman is more efficient at cleaning just because she's a woman.

 

[MonsterD]

I have no idea what kind of mentality the women have where you work, but I have worked at a store where 70% of the employees were female. The women at that place just worked together in tandem and used the appropriate equipment to lift and move heavy things. Also there were women who specifically asked to be stock workers who were fine with physical labor, of course the were about 6' plus and 200lbs, but they had no problems either.

I think the stock staff or the equipment should have been used and everyone perpetuated the "only this big guy can do that work" attitude there.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

exactly.You'd have a point if you were 5'2 110 pounds and worked with women who are 6'2 170 with biceps the size of your head. But assuming that's not the case, having you do the heavy lifting is more efficient.

In your scenario, with it being all men and one woman, you can't argue that a woman is more efficient at cleaning just because she's a woman.

Well, I just posted my experience, which sounds almost identical to the OP's, and I'm not a big guy, I'm 5'6" 130 lbs, and I had to do all the heavy lifting as well.

 

[a_minimalist]

Yea I worked at a retail store my first 2 years of college. I didn't mind doing the work because it kept me busy and made my day go by faster, but I did have the same exact conversations with the other male employees. It was an everything store--electronics, clothing, food, tools, etc. Everyone got paid the same amount of money. The girls' jobs were to operate the registers, assist customers, and straighten the store. The guys' jobs were to operate the registers, assist customers, straighten the store, clean up spills, carry out items to customers' cars, hang signs, go outside and round up shopping carts, unload merchandise that arrived on trucks and load it in the stock room, take out the merchandise from the stock room and put it on the shelves in its appropriate location. As you see, there was definitely a stereotype affecting how a person's job was dictated. It wasn't like one guy and ten girls working in an office and whenever someone needs a box lifted they ask the guy. It was an entire different set of duties because of gender. I also worked in an office for 2 years before I started college with mostly females and I was asked occasionally to do minor things because I was a male. That didn't bother me at all. I actually rather enjoyed it. It made me feel like a gentleman. However, what the OP is talking about and what I experienced is something totally different.

Exactly. Thats another example of there being an uneven workload with no titles or wages that separate the employees.

I'm expected to do more than the women here because I'm a bigger man. I have to do their job as well as a bunch of other things. It's been a long time since I've worked this type of job. Here I thought I'd be taking a relatively easy part-time job that pays horrible to hold me over until I found a real job. I never thought I'd have to deal with this kind of nonsense.