I’m female and work as a Sr. Tech. Analyst for a large company. Our small group of three people is considered the second level for WAN support.
Our duties are very limited, unchallenging, and I’ve asked many times for the opportunity to assist in any projects with the first tier, but never given the opportunity. The bottom tier is given the opportunity to work on projects with the first but we are not. My two male co-workers don’t want to do anything other than exist and are just waiting for retirement so they’re pretty happy with status quo.
I’m studing for my Masters of Science, and also taking the test soon for my CCNA. I can’t help but feel all the work I’m doing is in vain. Why? Because the manager of the first tier has been having an affair with his only female employee for several years now. He is married while she is not.
The “affair” has become a joke within the organization but also makes many individual furious, including me. Rumors are that senior people in management have told him to ‘cool it’, but he tells them it’s his business, not theirs. The happy couple are usually together at work when ever possible and go out to lunch every day. A couple of years ago they also travled to a remote location to do an equipment upgrade but that has stopped. The manager has even cut meetings short with VP’s because he must meet ‘her’ for lunch.
My boss doesn’t push the issue (inner-departmental working relationship or career growth), and has told me that “she” is threatened by me and this is the primary reason that I’ve never acknowledged or given any opportunities. I’ve pretty much give up.
We have a toll-free employee ethics hotline, I’m not sure if this would fall into that category. I wouldn’t have to give my name if I called either. I guess this is one course of action that I could possibly take.
Has anyone ever faced a situation such as this? If so, how and what was the outcome?
