Feb 7, 2012

Legal/Moral?

“A pregnant employee who was fired from her retail job after giving her supervisors a doctor’s note requesting she be allowed to refrain from heavy lifting and climbing ladders during the month and a half before her maternity leave: That’s what happened to Patricia Leahy. In 2008 a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that her firing was fair because her employers were not obligated to accommodate her needs……... It happens every day to pregnant women in the United States, and it happens thanks to a gap between discrimination laws and disability laws. 

Federal and state laws ban discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace. And amendments to the Americans With Disabilities Act require employers to provide reasonable accommodations to disabled employees (including most employees with medical complications arising from pregnancies) who need them to do their jobs. But because pregnancy itself is not considered a disability, employers are not obligated to accommodate most pregnant workers in any way.” – Deccan Herald, 2 Feb 2012. 

Where do we draw the line between what’s legal and what’s right? If an employer is not held legally accountable for firing a woman who was pretty much fired for being pregnant, do you think that would affect the company? Is there a solution to this sort of thinking by the employer?

Feb 3, 2012

Is being a yes girl the right strategy? - by Monalisa Das (Mail India, Feb 2nd edition, Pages 24 & 25))

Meenakshi Nayar had the right mix of talent and dedication to take her places in the advertising world. After graduating from a leading media institute, Meenakshi took on a job with full zeal at an ad agency. She didn't mind the 14-hour days or work-filled weekends. No matter how over-burdened she was, she never refused work. "Saying no to boss was unthinkable," she says.

While her strategy seemed to be a good one initially, over time it backfired. Despite several promotions, Meenakshi feels she is treated like a doormat in office. "My team members and boss just keep dumping work on me but never ask for my opinion. I can't recall the last time I went home for Diwali or took a day off," she declares. "It really hurts that despite my initiative and dedication, I haven't earned respect. Even my juniors have a bigger say in matters than me," she says. Meenakshi admits that being a "yes girl" has been a big mistake.

Speak your mind
Experts say Meenakshi's frustration is shared by most working professionals, especially women, in the Indian corporate world. "Blame it on cultural upbringing or the pluralistic society, women haven't yet learned to speak up. They may be extremely hard working but don't claim credit for their work or negotiate properly. They also find it difficult to say no," says Srimathi Shivashankar, associate vice president, diversity & sustainability, HCL Technologies.

Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting agrees. "Most women have a tendency to please others. Unlike men, they want to be seen as "nice" and are scared of confrontations or upsetting their colleagues with a no. But they need to unlearn this trait once they step into the corporate world, especially if they intend to assume leadership roles."

Menon's 20 years of experience in HR roles in India and the US have taught her that saying yes to every request may not always be right. "If you keep compromising on situations, the time will come when co-workers start treating you like a pushover," she says. Being over-burdened will ultimately affect your performance, which will end up being the company's loss too.


Assertiveness helps
Speaking up when faced with an unfair situation-be it the inequitable distribution of work or uncalled for comment-is crucial. "If you have gained the organisation's confidence and can clearly articulate your rationale, people will be willing to listen," says Mumbai-based Kanika Bhutani, senior manager, FIDS, Ernst & Young. Failure to speak up is often mistaken for a lack of competence or knowledge. "Women must learn to showcase their own competencies, abilities, achievements or simply just speak up more often in meetings," says Archana Bhaskar, global HR lead, OTC, Shell. While most women hesitate to speak up, those who assert themselves may go over the top. Hence, women come across either as yelling and dominating bosses or as submissive employees.

"You need to consciously practice how to express yourself politely but firmly without offending others. Another person's age or position should not bar you from speaking your mind," points out Meena Suri Wilson, senior enterprise associate, Center for Creative Leadership who comes with 15 years of work experience in the US and Asia. And if you have to say no, do it after careful consideration. "Saying no must be based on some facts, evidence or rationality else it will sound arrogant and unconvincing. People respect you when you sound reasonable," says expert on diversity issues, Shivashankar.


Glass ceiling exists
Another concern is the subtle bias that exists against women. "You are made to feel excluded in subtle ways. Organisations start giving you lighter roles after marriage and kids, assuming that you won't be able to deliver," says Menon. "This makes women so insecure that they hesitate to say no even when they need to. They end up committing beyond their capacity. Hence, confusion about where to draw the line prevails," says Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, vice president & partner, Stanton Chase International. It's the confusion that makes them either over commit, under commit or quit.

There is no denying the fact that women are under more pressure than men to strike a work-life balance. As a professional, however, a woman needs to be extremely clear about her priorities and stick with them. "Women must try to shift attention from gender issues to performance and work delivery because ultimately their talent really matters," says Bhaskar.

The best way to say no
Striking a balance between between agreeing to take on tasks and turning them down is very important. Gaining courage to say no to tasks in the workplace doesn't translate into shirking your professional commitments.

Also, if you have just taken on a job and start saying no to assignments right in the beginning, this won't be acceptable. You first need to prove yourself and create a reputation before you start raising objections. "It's about striking a balance between being naïve and saying yes to requests, and being arrogant and say saying no. You should be able to assess the situation and the relevance of your response to your career," suggests Shivashankar. The following tips will help.

Avoid responding immediately to requests to take on a new project, role or opportunity. It's best to sleep over it since a quick response doesn't ensure long-term foresight.

Next step is to create a mind map. "Assess if the new project is going to move you up in the career ladder. It could be in the form of new learning, networking with the senior management, better experience or simply a feel-good factor," says Shivashankar. If you decide to say no, frame it constructively with clarity and vision.

Acknowledge the good work you have done as this helps build your reputation and also makes it easier for your boss to deal with your no. "After every assignment, analyse how it helped you grow as a professional and how it contributed to the company's success," advises Wilson.

Share your learning with your boss- thank him for assigning you the task. "This will create the image of a proactive responsible professional. Saying no to certain things one off will become much easier if you appreciate a lot of other things regularly," she says.


Mail India 2nd Feb edition