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A new unwritten rule is developing on Wall Street and in other professions, as men are developing a new survival strategy for protecting their careers and wealth in the #MeToo era – avoid women completely.
It’s becoming a daily occurrence. As more women have been emboldened to step forward in the era of the #MeToo movement, we see men in high places taking a huge fall after being accused of inappropriate conduct or sexual assault.
While the entertainment has seen the most men accused of misconduct, it’s hardly isolated to a single industry.
The impact of the #MeToo it is only beginning to send out its ripple effects into various industries. Wall Street is one such area where a palpable shift among men seeking to insulate themselves from women in protectionist ways is beginning to emerge.
Obviously, this is a sensitive area. It’s something men all know and feel, but are also fearful and cautious about discussing it.
As a result of widespread accusations across industries, men everywhere are double-checking their behavior in the workplace.
However, many men feel the “rules of engagement” aren’t clear. They are unsure of what is safe to say or do. Unclear whether a supportive hand on a colleague’s shoulder could be taken as a sexual gesture, or if something they say can be interpreted the wrong way.
The uncertainty has left many men with the sense of “walking on egg shells.” It creates a stressful environment, within which men are struggling to cope.
The #1 fear men have is being falsely accused. False accusations create a scenario which the accused cannot control.
As a result of the uncertainty, it’s left men feeling like they have a “target on their back.” There is one strategy that has emerged which feels like the safest and surest to men: avoid women altogether.
With this strategy, it involves never being alone with a female colleague. Avoid having one-on-one meetings with women. Don’t dine alone with female colleagues or sit next to them during flights. Always book hotel rooms on different floors during business-based travel. And the list of similar isolation moves goes on.
Unfortunately, the need for men to protect themselves could unwittingly lead to the segregation of men and women in the workplace.
While the role of women in industries has come a long way in breaking up the old “boys club,” the #MeToo movement is threatening a return to that environment as a byproduct of fear and men seeking to protect themselves and their careers.
This is highly problematic for women, who often need the mentoring and championing of senior male colleagues to ascend in their careers.
Thus, as men back away from creating bonds with women or avoid them altogether in the workplace, in the wake of the #MeToo movement – it could lead to a significant barrier to the progress of women in a variety of fields.
