Tomorrow I’ll begin Week 3 at my new job.

Tomorrow I’ll begin Week 3 at my new job. I left a previous job after nearly 5 years. Although there were some great people I worked with, I worked in a horribly toxic department with men leaders that thrived on keeping the glass ceiling in place. Twice there were “reorgs” that resulted in male peers of mine being promoted to positions of authority while the women and minorities were placed in new, lower job titles. When I had my daughter, I literally called my employer from the hospital bed to begin my maternity leave paperwork because I was not allowed to submit it 30 days prior to my due date. Effectively, I had no idea exactly how much time I was going to get (it ended up being 6 weeks, and I had to use all of my own time before using 6 weeks. A complete joke). I regularly pumped in bathrooms and in my car because of poor access to mothers rooms. Looking back I’m not even sure how this was legal. I kept telling myself to stick it out, maybe I was overreacting/maybe there was a justifiable reason this was happening.

I think it is worth a reminder that an employer-employee relationship can be an abusive one. Employees justify the abuse and I can attest that I was a complete fool for sticking around one day longer than I had to. I should have left long ago.

At my new job, I had a welcome basket on my desk on day 1. I had a fellow coworker, a man, tell me about a working parents ERG and encouraged me to consider joining on day 3, when he learned I was a mother (after he gushed to me about his 8 week old lol). I’ve had multiple welcome meals bought for me at this point. I have been told “Great idea!” by more than one coworker, versus responses like “Oh you stole my thunder” when I offered up feedback and dialogue in my previous roles. Ladies, that job IS out there. Don’t settle for one more second. Respect yourselves and make them pay for their shit treatment. ✌️