Bite-size Case Study

A day in the life of an HR manager

Published on October 29, 2020 Originally recorded 2019   4 min
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Welcome to this talk in the Henry Stewart series designed for first-level managers. I'm Doctor Helen Mortimore from Bristol Business School at the University of the West of England. In this session, we consider the art and practice of first-level management with regard to issues related to gender. There are some points here which you've probably already thought about as issues, and some that may be new to you particularly those that relate to underlying causes of inequality in the workplace. Gender is a challenging aspect of first-level management. This is a complex terrain where each of us has an obvious vested interest.
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A day in the life of: Read the case study and examine how the events could be considered from a gendered perspective, that's to say how the experiences of men and women differ in this workplace. One of the key points I would like you to take away from this case study is that whatever we say about our workplace is at the level of mission statement and values. Whatever policies and paperwork we have in place, it is the lived experiences of our colleagues that really make the workplace what it is. It is particularly at this level that you can make a difference as a first-level manager. In terms of the pay demand, you probably noted that the conversation this arose from was taking place out of the office. Be cautious of this kind of culture. Yes, it's great to socialize with colleagues, but if important discussions and decision-making are happening in this way, then this will prevent women and colleagues who do not drink from being able to progress. As well as being unfair, is this really the best way to make decisions? Research into the demands that men and women make regarding pays thin. Arguably, this is because pay demands are often quite clandestine discussions. The more transparent your pay structure, the fewer inconsistencies will creep in. On the issue of the absent receptionist in the tea making,