Archive for January 29, 2016

When Jane’s phone buzzed, she knew that it would be her boss. Sure enough, he had texted Jane on her personal line, asking her to come by his office before lunch. No matter what her boss needed, he always seemed to require Jane’s physical presence. He’d stand too close to her, quickly telling her whatever information he’d called her in for, and then transition to asking probing questions about Jane’s personal life.

It didn’t seem like enough to complain about, even

Kelley Voelker worked at Deutsche Bank for 14 years without a promotion. A vice president with the bank’s securities lending desk in New York City, she was a competent and reliable employee, consistently earning good performance reviews. Yet despite her strong qualifications, she remained in the same position year after year, stagnating. Her lack of promotion wasn’t because of her experience; it wasn’t because of her commitment. It was, Ms. Voelker claimed, because she was “mommy-tracked.”

“Mommy tracking” is a passive-aggressive