Re: Summary: #$ -at- %#^&$# secretary stuff...

[Roger Mallett <roger -at- CSICAL -dot- COM>]

I HAVE BEEN OFFENDED!!!! and don't know how to respond.  Up until just a
few minutes ago I was one of those males that just don't seem to mind
helping out a little now and then with notes, phones, etc.  But enough
is enough!!  Why this morning, as thanks for forwarding a phone message
to our Office Manager, she said to me "Thank you My Receptionist!".

Well   Huummmpppphhh!!!

Just what does she think I am???  I now realize what a terrible position
I have put my self into.  Until this morning, I didn't see the signs of
career degeneration creeping up on me, but now it is obvious.  For
weeks, when she would go to lunch with other members of the office, she
would ask me to take care of the phones for her.  Now I see the plan.
Now I understand the sexist strains and need for power that struggle
within her.

Will I let my new feelings get in the way?  Will I jeopardize my 6
figure income and come out of the closet demanding to be treated more
fairly?  Sadly, No, I will just continue to be nice, do the best job
possible at whatever I do, and collect the rewards each payday.

Signed,

Our Company's Most Expensive Part-Time Secretary


---------------------
Roger Mallett
Control Systems
(714) 458-5040 x 239

>----------
>From:  DURL[SMTP:durl -at- BUFFNET -dot- NET]
>Sent:  Wednesday, May 13, 1998 6:58 AM
>To:    TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>Subject:       Summary:  #$ -at- %#^&$# secretary stuff...
>
>
>        Thanks to you all. I think this is on topic, given that a
>significant percentage of us are female and encounter this struggle
>about
>our status as profesionals, apparently due to our gender. It's relevant
>to all of us because
>the trend is that, as a profession includes greater numbers of women,
>the
>salary declines.
>        More than half the men said they'd been asked to take minutes.
>Of those, about half agreed and half declined. As you all saw, most of
>the
>men felt, "If you wanna pay me $60 hr to take minutes, I'll do it."
>        IMO, most men don't see the problem, probably because they
>don't
>experience it. The problem I fear is that, once a woman takes on a
>clerical
>task, it
>becomes harder to explain why she won't take on the next one. I suspect
> that a male note-taker wouldn't be asked to type a letter,
>simply because the gender stereotypes reduce the odds of that
>occurrence.
>        My answer to the interviewer was, "I'm willing to do it, but I
>have a concern that, by doing it, I'll be seen as clerical support and
>therefore have a harder time being treated as a professional when I
>interview the programmers and technical staff."
>        He--literally!--waved away this objection and said, "In a
>perfect
>world, we'd have a secretary to do it. As it is, we all have to wear
>different hats."
>        I reiterated my concern; he said, "OK, how about if we just do
>it
>among ourselves, not in front of the client?"
>        I said, "If you're willing to take the risk, I'm willing to do
>it.
>Heck, I'll even let you open doors for me."
>
>        After reading your responses, next time this comes up, I'll
>take
>the advice of the listers who pointed out that taking notes for my
>purposes precludes taking minute notes. I'll also ask if the chore is
>rotated, or suggest rotation.
>
>        Thanks again!
>        Yours for $100/hr rates,
>        Mary
>
> Mary Durlak  Erie Documentation Inc.
>East Aurora, New York (near Buffalo)
>durl -at- buffnet -dot- net
>
>
>> Mary wrote -
>>
>>         Went to talk to a potential client today. Talked to the Project
>> Coordinator, the lead engineer....got past them, apparently, because they
>> brought in the Project Manager.
>>         He asked a few relevant questions (no cannonballs, no grenades)
>> and then said, "Are you willing to take meeting minutes and make copies?"
>>         Does this *happen* to you gentlemen?
>>
>
>
>~~~
>
>