How to deal with discrimination as a contractor

[psychocandy]

Of course it does. Work culture is all part of it - if the culture is "if we're paying that much for someone, I want them in the office", then there's no WFH for the highly paid "guru".

Unfortinately, you're right. Some clients do think like this.

As I said, its up to you then - do the contract or dont.

[Cirrus]

Oh My God: I'm a Rate-ist!

This is terrible.

I've got enough personality defects as it is.

But I'm now thinking "If I had someone on over a £1000 a day, they wouldn't even go to the toilet if it had anything to do with me. For that money I want blood. Fresh, bright red, and by the pint."

Tell me the guy who said 'no' to WFH was not the bloke who took on luimneach and I'm really thinking this is not sex discrimination at all.



This is rate discrimination

[LondonManc]

this is terrible.

I've got enough personality defects as it is.

But i'm now thinking "if i had someone on over a £1000 a day, they wouldn't even go to the toilet if it had anything to do with me. For that money i want blood. Fresh, bright red, and by the pint."

tell me the guy who said 'no' to wfh was not the bloke who took on luimneach and i'm really thinking this is not sex discrimination at all.



This is rate discrimination

This IS SPARTA!!!!!

[TheFaQQer]

Talking in general.

Specifically in general?

[LondonManc]

Specifically in general?

In whichever forum he can get away with.

[WTFH]

This IS SPARTA!!!!!

No, I'm Spartacus.

[Glencky]

OP, as a woman working in IT/business change in financial services for 15 years, I find it very easy to believe you're experiencing sexism. This forum, frankly, is far too frequently evidence of the inherent misogyny of our working environment, and there are many people on here who wouldn't 'get' or acknowledge the genuine existence of sexual discrimination if it slapped them in the face. But even with that as a starting opinion, I don't find enough information in your original or subsequent posts to really get whether this is gender-specific or not. And I do think it's important you question yourself on this. As you'll already be well aware, living as a woman in a man's world (and ha! that is not just in IT in FS, that merely exaggerates what's in wider society) requires one to pick one's battles.

In this case, is there really no other difference between you and those who are 'allowed' to do what you're not, other than gender? What makes you so sure this is gender-based discrimination, rather than personal or random?

As somebody else has already said, the fact you're not an employee makes no difference. The law protects you as well, and any large company will be training its managers to make this absolutely clear! but what the law is and what you choose to attempt to get enforced may be two different things. Pick your battles wisely, and don't pick this one just because it was the straw that broke the camel's back. If there's other relevant stuff you haven't mentioned, tell us.

And more than one person has already given the best advice. Don't ask for permission, take it. I'm learning to do that myself more as I get older, and it works. My opinion is that much of the gender-based conditioning in society makes men more likely to do this and society more accepting of it when they do (more likely: obviously not everyone of either gender is the same). However, at this point, what have you really got to lose? Suffer a bit of unpleasantness and do what you want. If you have a problem getting paid, take it up with them at that point... but only do this if you're prepared to suffer the potential consequences of loss of income if it all goes wrong.

Good luck!

[fool]

OP, as a woman working in IT/business change in financial services for 15 years, I find it very easy to believe you're experiencing sexism. This forum, frankly, is far too frequently evidence of the inherent misogyny of our working environment, and there are many people on here who wouldn't 'get' or acknowledge the genuine existence of sexual discrimination if it slapped them in the face.

The problem is it's all too easy to associate anything negative with discrimination and the OP isn't really describing anything that isn't frequently experienced by the swath of white males on here. It might be because she's female but it might simply be because she wants it too much, isn't liked, is too important, or some of the many other things that could seperate her from the others.

There's evidence that suggests that professional woman on average are earning slightly more than their male counterpart upto children. There's also evidence to suggest pretty woman and tall men have an advantage over the rest of us. We're not losing our minds about it though and I'm hardly about to sue an employer because I'm short.

I totally get that discrimination is a real issue, but if the OP really is all she claims to be, rather than ruining her career over over it, she'd be better serving both herself and the rest of society by going to work for an employer that's more enlightened. It's what we men would do and it's the advice we'd give to each other.

[northernladuk]

I don't think any forum is any good for discussing -isms. It's very rarely black and white and have a long list of evidence that needs to be sorted through before the random people on the forum 'get it'. Sometimes random strangers are not the best people to turn to. If you don't know what 30 days payment mean, how long your accounting year is or some other moronic question like that we can do. Ism's we cant.

[NotAllThere]

General discussion on -isms please take to General.