A recent report by Textio, a management software company, revealed that top-performing women receive disproportionately negative feedback compared to their male counterparts. 76% of women receive negative feedback compared to 2% of men. 40% of high-performing women have considered leaving their jobs due to excessive criticism.
As well as unconscious bias aimed at women in general, the report showed that criticism of women’s performance in the workplace follows certain patterns:
Personality-Focused Critiques:
Women are often judged on their demeanor and personality rather than their work. 88% of top female employees receive feedback on their personalities, while only 12% of their male counterparts face the same type of assessment.
Low-Quality Feedback:
Critiques of women often centered on vague personal attributes rather than specific work-related improvements. For every 1,000 words during a performance review, women experienced twice as many instances of low-quality feedback compared to men.
High performing people should be presented with actionable steps to improve their performance. Promotion discrimination can happen in companies when an employer does not have performance requirements, policies and procedures in place for advancing in your career. Failure to promote an employee due to his or her status as a member of a legally protected class is illegal. An employer can also force an employee out via constructive discharge, when an employer makes life difficult for an employee so that the employee chooses to quit.
At the Maura Greene Law Group, our employment attorneys represent many high performing people including C-suite executives, Directors, Vice Presidents, administrators, scientists, technical professionals, finance and banking professionals, physicians, HR professionals, and college faculty and administrators. We help high performing employees in executive roles negotiate terms that protect their reputation and career, or negotiate for increased compensation, bonus and other compensation.
If your employer is making it difficult to advance in your career, tolerating bullying, changing the terms of your employment or discriminating against you, it may be time to take action and speak to an experienced employment attorney.
Contact us at 617-936-1580 or email us at [email protected]
The Not So Fine Print:
Every case has its own unique facts. Before you take any action, you should contact an employment lawyer and get advice on your own situation. We can’t provide legal advice here and this isn’t intended as legal advice. Keep in mind that it is best, if possible, to establish a relationship with an attorney before a workplace issue turns into a full-blown crisis.
Study Source: Fortune