Waaaay back in 1982, I was an administrative assistant at a tri-state gas utility. I had a superintendent and four supervisors who were my immediate bosses. One of the supervisors continuously made derogatory comments about me in front of the predominately male service technicians, touched my thighs several times, even after I slapped his hand and told him, resolutely, to never do that again. And, I couldn’t make this up, while I was walking from my desk to the ladies room, he said as I passed his desk, “Ummm, can I smell your fingers when you get back?”
I had reported each of these incidents to my superintendent. Nothing ever happened. Finally, I went to the VP of the division and recounted all the things that had happened over the previous 8–10 months. He leaned back in his reclining chair and said, “Well, it’s taken you an awfully long time to make a fuss about this.” I came up out of my chair, leaned over his desk and said, “I am not making a fuss. I am complaining about sexual harassment!”
Knowing it wouldn’t go any further, I filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office. They investigated, found my complaints valid, and “suggested” that the company have a company-wide review of sexual harassment in the workplace. bfd.
Then, I realized that the company was creating positions of upward mobility for the service technicians but wasn’t allowing any of the administrative staff to transition into pre-existing progressive steps. I went through the appropriate chain-of-command to bring attention to this unfairness. It was met with silence all along the way. I went back to the AG’s office and filed a complaint for discriminatory promotional practices.
I had worked for 12 years as senior administrative assistant to the Superintendent of Customer Service. After the company saw my complaint, I was transferred to an out-of-the-way office to an entry level position in the automotive department (with no loss of pay). Then the poor performance reviews started. Then the performance warnings. Then the specter of dismissal. I was “lucky” enough to leave on medical disability due to carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve problems, and received a healthy settlement because I was disabled from that profession.
Within a month of my departure, all of the senior administrative assistants were given their earned and rightful elevations in job classification and appropriate wage increases.
