I was just passed over to go on an international business trip because there would be just 1 man and 1 woman?

Question

Is this normal? I am the head of my publicly traded corporate audit department. We have an overseas office where an audit needs to be completed. I have completed the corporate audit successfully so there is no doubt about my competency to complete the audit. I want the opportunity to travel because I think it will help my resume to grow as I have little travel experience. The corporate CFO will also be traveling to the foreign office on other business at the same time. It falls within my realm of responsibility to complete the audit but I was not asked to go because my company thinks it is inappropriate to send just one male and one female together on a trip. As a woman, I feel this is discrimination and think it is unfair. What do you think?

Answer 1

Yes it is unfair but it makes me think that there may be skeletons in the CFO's cupboard, has something happened between staff on previous trips?

Answer 2

From a company standpoint it would cost more to send a man and a woman because they would need two rooms. If both were the same s*x, they could share a room.

Yes, it seems unfair, we are supposed to look at the best qualified not their s*x.

Answer 3

who ever said everything in life would be fair...........................

the companies decision to care about expenses and the PERCEPTION of impropriety is justified and fiscally responsible.

just because you are qualified and would like to pad your resume does not mean they have to send you and failing to do so is not discriminatory in any way. perhaps your aspirations of resume padding are known or suspected by your employer and they don't wish to reward you considering it seems to be your intention to leave them at the first better opportunity.

Answer 4

There is nothing that you can do about it is ethically right for a company to not want any potential lessers thinking this business trip is a date so on this one it is just the men...maybe when there is a female exec etc then it will be your chance...sounds like your company has had problems in the past and they just don't want to risk it..if you rock the boat it will prove their point...

Answer 5

Unfortunately it might be normal - not right, but maybe not unusual, especially if the person deciding is an older male that isn't yet used to professional women in the workplace.  It probably isn't illegal though, but could edge on it if it affects your promotability.   But frankly, being practical, an EEOC complaint would probably hurt promotion chances more than the lack of travel, even though that wouldn't be legal.

As far as resume building, I doubt that travel would make much difference though.

Good luck.